Pokemon: The Final Victory
by PokemonFreak90
Summary: After many long years, Ash Ketchum is on the brink of becoming The World's Greatest Pokemon Master. But it will take all his skill, courage, and willpower to triumph in this final battle. Read story to find out which shipping is used. Updated by accident! Story was completed on 6/7/2011.
1. Sleepless Night

It was a quiet night in a forest not far from the Sinnoh League Stadium. Ash Ketchum had not been able to sleep that night and had left the hotel and went for a walk. He had a lot on his mind considering that the very next day he would battle in the biggest and most important Pokemon battle of his life.

He was going to battle the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia. If he won, he would achieve the rank and title of "The World's Greatest Pokemon Master." According to the official League rules, Pokemon Master is the highest rank possible for a trainer and to achieve that title, a trainer must compete and triumph in each region's Pokemon League Tournament and defeat the Elite Four of each region.

As Ash sat on the grass, he closed his eyes and thought about his journey and how hard he had worked to get to this spot.

It had been 15 years since Ash first left Pallet Town to start his journey and he was now 25 years old. He had lost several times in the past in the Pokemon Leagues and to the Elite Four but he kept challenging them until he won. Each loss just seemed to make him train even harder. Ash was also quite wealthy now since defeating a member of the Elite Four is a type of battle that comes with a payoff. And now, after many long years, Cynthia was the only Elite Four member that he hadn't beaten yet. Ash's dreams were on the brink of coming true. Needless to say, Ash was feeling a lot of pressure from himself, his friends, and the many fans who would be cheering him on.

Throughout his 15 years of traveling, training, and battles, he had met many friends, enemies, rivals, and Pokemon. Some of the Pokemon had been released, others left to train with other trainers. But once Ash began challenging the Elite Four, he realized he would need all the help he could get. Nearly all of his Pokemon came back to fight for him and they are now staying with him permanently.

Pidgeot, Squirtle, Charizard, Primeape, and Gliscor had all returned and over time, all his Pokemon evolved into their final forms - except Pikachu, of course.

But it wasn't just his Pokemon, Ash had trained himself to be stronger, too. When Ash discovered he had the power of Aura within himself, he nearly worked himself to death trying to unleash, control, and use it. Like a true Aura Guardian, Ash could use his power to sense his surroundings, use it to fight by creating Aura Spheres, and even use it to sense and translate his Pokemon's words. That's right, Ash could listen and understand what his Pokemon say when they talk to him.

Also, something unexpected had entered Ash's life during that time. Something he had been so dense about, it made his friends groan with frustration. That "something" was love. Ash Ketchum had a girlfriend. Looking back, he wished he had told her that he loved her right from the start and blamed his denseness for this but she didn't mind. All that mattered was that they were together. They had dated over the past two years and they now had a very serious relationship. When Ash wasn't training or battling, he was trying to spend as much time with her as he could. Ash also had a very big decision to make about their future together. He knew he loved her enough to "pop the question" but how would she react? She would be cheering him on tomorrow in his battle along with many of his other friends that had made the journey to Sinnoh to watch him.

"Ash?"

Because Ash was deep in thought, he didn't use his Aura to sense his surroundings. If he did, he would've realized that someone was standing nearby him. It wasn't until his name was called that he realized who was there. A large pink and purple feline Pokemon with a long tail and a tube running into the back of its skull from its back. It was the legendary Pokemon, Mewtwo. Mewtwo never showed himself unless he sensed something was wrong with Ash or if he was called upon to fight in a Pokemon battle.

"Mewtwo? Why are you here?"

"You've forgotten? Using my psychic powers, I can detect what your emotions are. It's similar to your Aura. And I always watch over you, my friend. Your emotions are telling me that you are worried about your battle tomorrow."

"Yes. I know I've done everything in my power to prepare for my battle but there's so much pressure, everyone's expecting me to win. I always dreamed this would happen to me and now that it's finally here, it almost seems too good to be true and almost too much to handle."

"Do not be afraid, Ash. Your friends and family are here with you. You have my support and loyalty, too. I will fight for you in your battle tomorrow." encouraged Mewtwo.

"Being a legendary Pokemon, you could defeat all of Cynthia's Pokemon without breaking a sweat!" joked Ash.

"True," said Mewtwo "But to keep it fair, I'll be holding back my full power. I promise not to raise my energy any higher than her Pokemon's."

Despite promising to hold back his power, Ash knew Mewtwo was still very formidable. Through intense training from Ash and by himself, Mewtwo could learn and use more than just four attacks. But Ash wasn't worried because he trusted Mewtwo just as much as he trusted his other Pokemon.

However, Mewtwo wasn't technically his Pokemon since Ash never captured him with a Pokeball. It was Mewtwo who requested that he stay as a free Pokemon but one that Ash could use in battle as long as he wasn't captured.

Ash smiled and said, "Thanks, Mewtwo. I can always count on my Pokemon to help me out."

"We all trust in you, Ash. Give it all you've got, and we know you'll win. By this time tomorrow, you'll be a Pokemon Master!"

"You're right. There's no need to worry!"

Ash thanked Mewtwo again and Mewtwo teleported away. With Ash's mind now at ease, he walked back to the hotel and went into his room. Pikachu hadn't awakened since Ash left and was still fast asleep. Ash climbed into his bed and soon fell asleep, too.

**Author's Note: So there's chapter one. I decided not to use the new Unova region in this story or any of their Pokemon, since that series has only just started and not much has happened in it yet so I have little to go on. So just assume that Sinnoh was the final region.**

**I know this opening is boring but it's better to get all the background information out of they way at the beginning of a story. Let me know what you think about it and if you have any questions, just ask me. But remember, this is my first story and I'm not a natural writer so please be nice.**

**Oh, and here are the ages for Ash and his friends:**

**Dawn: 23**

**May: 24**

**Ash: 25**

**Gary: 25**

**Misty: 26**

**Tracey: 26**

**Brock: 28**


	2. A Talk With Friends

The next morning, Ash and his friends were at the Pokemon Center eating breakfast. Ash, Tracey, Brock, and Gary were sitting at one table while Misty, Dawn, and May were sitting at the table next to them.

Brock was currently working as a Pokemon doctor at the Pokemon Center back in Pewter City while Gary and Tracey were currently attending school hoping to become Pokemon Professors and run the Pokemon Research Lab in Pallet Town together someday because Prof. Oak was getting older and it was getting too hard for him to handle.

Misty was still the Gym Leader in Cerulean City while May and Dawn had won the Grand Festival in their home regions of Hoenn and Sinnoh respectively, and were now top coordinators.

On the floor, Ash's Pikachu, Dawn's Piplup, May's Glaceon, and Misty's Marill (Azurill had evolved) were enjoying some Pokemon food made by Brock. As the Pokemon ate, they began a conversation which eventually got around to the topic of Pikachu battling for Ash against Cynthia. **(A/N: All Pokemon conversations will be done like normal conversations.)**

"So Pikachu, how do you feel about Ash being in such an important battle?" asked Glaceon.

"Ash and I have been together since Day 1 of his Pokemon Journey. I've seen his strategies, determination, trust, and kindness to me and the other Pokemon over the last 15 years. If anyone deserves to be in a battle like this where the title of Pokemon Master is on the line, it's Ash!" replied Pikachu.

"I've heard that Cynthia's no pushover. Don't be too confident in your victory, Pikachu." said Marill.

Piplup stood proudly and said, "No need to worry, Pikachu. I'm sure you'll do just fine! You and Ash are the best combination of Pokemon and Trainer I've ever seen...aside from me and Dawn, of course!"

The Pokemon all shared a laugh at Piplup's comment. They knew Piplup had more faith in Pikachu's abilities than any of the other Pokemon. This was because Piplup was Pikachu's closest Pokemon friend who wasn't one of Ash's Pokemon.

Meanwhile, Ash and the guys were discussing which Pokemon he might use in his battle. Under the circumstances of his battle, Ash should've been very nervous but after his talk with Mewtwo last night, he felt much more relaxed. He knew he had done everything he could do to prepare for today's battle with Cynthia so there was no need to worry.

Ash looked over at May, Dawn, and Misty's table where the girls were sitting and winked at his girlfriend. She noticed him and smiled brightly while the other two girls hid a giggle. Ash cared deeply for each of them but one of them in particular he truly loved above the others.

When Ash revealed to Brock and the other boys which Pokemon he would use, they were very surprised. Naturally, since Cynthia had a well-balanced team of Pokemon instead of most of the Gym Leaders and other Elite Four members who only used Pokemon of one type, they knew Ash would use a well-balanced team of water, fire, grass, flying, and of course, Pikachu and Mewtwo. But they thought Ash would use his more powerful Pokemon of those elements.

"None of your Grass Pokemon have more attack power than Venusaur or more defense than Torterra." said Brock.

"And none of your Flying Pokemon are faster than Swellow!" exclaimed Tracey.

"And your not using either Venusaur, Torterra, or Swellow? Not to mention other Pokemon you're leaving out like Infernape, Floatzel, or Blastoise?" said Gary. "You're leaving out some of your strongest Pokemon from this battle!"

But Ash interrupted them and said, "I'm not looking for the _strongest_ Pokemon for this battle, guys. I'm looking for the _right_ Pokemon for this battle."

Brock, Tracey, and Gary didn't know what Ash was planning but they trusted him. They had known Ash for too long to doubt his battling abilities now.

* * *

At the strike of noon, the Pokemon Stadium was packed with almost 20,000 screaming fans. Many had signs that said, "Go Cynthia!" While others said, "Go Ash!" And it wasn't just in the arena, people all over Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were in their living rooms in front of their TVs watching what some were predicting to be, "The Battle of the Century."

Stores, schools, and businesses were all closed for the day and Gym battles were postponed. Virtually the entire world came to a standstill as hundreds of millions of people watched and waited in anticipation to see if a new Pokemon Master would be named that day.

Ash Ketchum stood in the walkway which led outside to the battlefield. He took a deep breath and readied himself for the biggest Pokemon Battle of his life. And all that stood between him and his ultimate goal was one champion and her six Pokemon.

Ash's girlfriend was there beside him. She hugged him and wished him luck. Ash thanked her and kissed her gently and she left to take her seat. On the floor, her water Pokemon wished Pikachu luck and followed its trainer to the stands.

Ash remembered Mewtwo's words from the night before, "_We all trust in you, Ash. Give it all you've got, and we know you'll win_." Knowing that he had done all he could to prepare for this moment, Ash motioned for Pikachu to hop onto his shoulder. Pikachu complied and Ash walked out the hallway and onto the stadium's battlefield.

**Author's Note: Again, sorry if this is another boring chapter but don't worry, I promise the battle with Cynthia will begin next chapter!**

**Which Pokemon will Ash be using in his battle?**

**Will he defeat Cynthia and achieve the rank/title of Pokemon Master?**

**Find out next time in Pokemon: The Final Victory.**


	3. Battle Introduction and Round 1

**Author's Note: Since only two of Cynthia's Pokemon have been shown in the anime, I will be using Cynthia's Pokemon team from the Diamond/Pearl video games for this story. Their attacks are ones that I choose; same thing goes for the attacks for Ash's Pokemon.**

As soon as Ash walked out onto the battlefield, he was greeted by thousands of cheers coming from the people in the stands. Cynthia then walked out and was greeted by a similar cheer from the crowd. Ash looked around the stands and saw his friends, other members of the Elite Four he had defeated, and several Gym Leaders from around the regions. His mind drifted as he thought about the people who were not there to cheer him on. His mom and Prof. Oak were back home in Pallet Town watching him on TV along with the rest of his Pokemon that he wasn't using in this battle.

As Ash was thinking about this, back in Pallet Town the streets were empty. No one was outside. Everything was deadly quiet. But inside all the houses including Ash's, there was plenty of cheers as the people of Pallet watched as their resident Pokemon-Master-to-be was shown on the screen. Ash's Mom, Delia was also watching along with her Mr. Mime.

At the Pokemon Laboratory, Prof. Oak had brought a TV outside for all of Ash's Pokemon so they could watch and cheer their trainer on. Venusaur, Blastoise, Pidgeot, Kingler, Muk, Snorlax, Heracross, Meganium, Donphan, and all of Ash's other Pokemon waited in anticipation for the battle to start as Prof. Oak came outside and sat amongst the Pokemon. Finally, the introductions began.

Back at the Sinnoh Stadium, Ash's thoughts were brought back to the battle at hand as the announcer's voice rang out across the stadium as the battle was introduced.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Sinnoh Pokemon Stadium! Today, you will experience quite possibly the battle of the century as we watch Ash Ketchum take on the Champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia!"

"Ash has become well known throughout the world for defeating all the Gym Leaders of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh as well as winning the Pokemon League tournament for each region. But what's even more incredible is that he's defeated each of the Elite Four from each region as well!"

"Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion is the last of the trainers that Ash has yet to beat and as you all know, according to Pokemon League rules, if a trainer wins all four Pokemon Leagues and defeats each region's Elite Four along with the current champion, they will earn the rank and title of...THE WORLD'S GREATEST POKEMON MASTER!" The stadium let out a loud scream as people cheered.

"If you've been writing the script for an amazing Pokemon battle, you couldn't have written a better one than this, folks! We're making history today so good luck to both trainers! Let's get this battle started!"

The referee walked out to the sidelines by the middle of the battlefield and explained the rules, "The battle between the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, and the challenger, Ash Ketchum, will now begin. This will be a full six on six Pokemon battle with no time limit and the battle will be over when all of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle. Also, only the challenger can substitute one Pokemon for another."

"_This is it. I can do this. I've worked too hard for too long to let it slip away now_" Thought Ash. "_I just need to take it one Pokemon at a time and I'll win!_"

"_I've seen some of Ash's other battles against the Elite Four. I've never seen a trainer as strong as him_" Thought Cynthia. "_If I do end up losing to him, I won't be angry. I'll be glad that I got to witness firsthand, the crowning of a new champion._"

"I hope Ash knows what he's doing." said Tracey. "When he told us the team of Pokemon he would be using, I had my doubts."

"It's all up to him, now. All we can do is sit and watch and hope for the best" said Misty.

"There's no need to worry!" said Dawn to the others. "If there's one thing I've learned about Ash, it's that he always seems to find a way to win no matter how great the challenge is!"

Back on the battlefield, Ash and Cynthia were ready to choose their Pokemon and begin the battle.

"Go, Spiritomb!" cried Cynthia.

Spiritomb appeared on the battlefield as Ash quickly knew which Pokemon he would use. "Pikachu, remember on our Sinnoh journey when we accidentally released a Spiritomb that had been sealed away for hundreds of years?"

"Yeah, I remember." Pikachu answered.

"Well, do you remember that you were the one who ended up defeating it and resealing it back in its keystone? You've battled this Pokemon firsthand. Since you have more experience with battling this Pokemon than any other member of my team, do you think you can do it again?"

"I don't _think_ I can, I _know_ I can!"

"Then let's do it! Go, Pikachu!"

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and onto the battlefield, ready to fight.

The referee raised his hands in the air and shouted, "The Champion gets to use the first attack. Let the battle begin!"

"Spiritomb, use Shadow Ball!" commanded Cynthia. Spiritomb charged up a large sphere of dark energy and shot it towards Pikachu but Ash was ready and knew what to do.

"Pikachu, block it with Iron Tail!" Pikachu jumped and spun around in the air as its glowing tail hit the Shadow Ball and deflected it away.

"Use Dark Pulse!" said Cynthia. A stream of dark energy shot out from Spiritomb.

Pikachu landed on the ground as Ash quickly called out his next move.

"Now use Quick Attack!" Pikachu dashed at lightning speed toward Spiritomb.

"What is Ash thinking?" said May. "Normal type attacks have no effect on Ghost Pokemon like Spiritomb!"

Using his Aura, Ash was able to hear what his friends were saying so he used his Aura as a form of telepathy like Lucario and said to them, "_I'm not using it to attack._" Pikachu zigzagged left and right as it avoided the Dark Pulse but Cynthia kept the attacks coming.

"Now jump, Pikachu!" Using the momentum from the speedy Quick Attack, Pikachu jumped into the air...right into the path of the oncoming Dark Pulse! The crowd gasped as Pikachu headed right for the attack. Ash didn't seemed worried at all.

"Volt Tackle, Pikachu! And aim for its keystone!" A field of electricity surrounded Pikachu as it headed into the Dark Pulse. The dark energy simply bounced off the electric shield Pikachu had created around its body. Plus, with the built up momentum from Quick Attack, the Volt Tackle was coming at twice the speed thus, twice the power!

Pikachu's Volt Tackle hit its mark on the keystone as Spiritomb groaned in pain. "_How does he know about a Spiritomb's weak point?_" Cynthia wondered. Pikachu landed back on the ground in front of Ash. Spiritomb took damage from a critical hit but Volt Tackle's recoil had also hurt Pikachu.

"Your Pikachu is very fast, Ash. Let's see how you fare against an attack so powerful, you can't dodge it no matter how fast you are! Spiritomb, Giga Impact!" Cynthia called. A giant energy field surrounded Spiritomb as it zoomed towards Pikachu. The attack was so big, Pikachu knew he couldn't dodge it. Ash quickly thought about something to stop the attack or Pikachu was in big trouble! Suddenly, an idea came to his mind!

"Pikachu, spin and use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu spun on the ground as multiple electricity bolts spread out in all directions.

In the stands, Dawn and Brock looked on with excited looks on their faces. "It's an electric counter shield!" exclaimed Brock. The others looked at him with confused expressions. Brock quickly explained that Ash had come up with that technique in Sinnoh during his Gym battle with Fantina.

Cynthia however, didn't seem fazed by this technique and commanded Spiritomb to keep going with Giga Impact. As the two attacks met, Spiritomb was hit with the electricity of the counter shield and took some damage as well as slowing down it's attack. But Spiritomb refused to give in and pushed through the electricity and hit Pikachu with its Giga Impact creating a huge explosion hurting both Pokemon.

As the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were still standing but both were damaged pretty badly. The counter shield had damaged Spiritomb and weakened the force of its Giga Impact but it had still done a lot of damage to Pikachu. Ash knew Pikachu was in rough shape but he also knew it wasn't as bad as what it could've been if Pikachu had taken a direct hit.

"It looks like both Pikachu and Spiritomb are hurt. This first battle could go either way." said Brock.

"Yeah, one well-placed attack by either Pokemon could end it for the other." agreed Gary.

In his mind, Ash had contemplated the same thing. He needed to end this with one attack right here and now. "_After using Giga Impact, Spiritomb can't move for another attack. This is the chance I've been waiting for!_" Ash thought to himself. But then another thought came to his mind, "_But Cynthia __**must**__ have known that Spiritomb would be immobilized if Giga Impact was used. If so, why did she use that attack? She just gave me a clear shot at Spiritomb!_"

"_Judging by Spiritomb's power, that Giga Impact should've been powerful enough to defeat Pikachu even if an electric shield was used...but it didn't!_" Cynthia thought to herself. "_Just how strong are his Pokemon?_"

"I've got to end this right now! Pikachu, Thunderbolt right at its keystone!" Ash shouted. Charging up a Thunderbolt attack, Pikachu unleashed a long bolt of electricity that flew across the battlefield and hit Spiritomb right its keystone for the second critical hit of the battle. But when the Thunderbolt attack stopped, Spiritomb was still able to battle...but just barely. Everybody watching couldn't believe that the Champion's Pokemon was still standing after all that.

"Two direct hits at its keystone and Spiritomb's still fighting? I thought Pikachu's Thunderbolt would end this round for sure!" Exclaimed May.

"It's incredible. Simply incredible." was all that Gary could say.

The immobilization from Giga Impact had worn off and Spiritomb was able to attack again. Ash knew he had to land one last hit if he wanted to win. Unfortunately, Cynthia had also come up with the same notion.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt one last time at full power!" Ash screamed.

"Dark Pulse, Spiritomb!" cried Cynthia.

The two Pokemon fired their electric bolts and dark energy at the exact same time. Both attacks collided in the middle of the stadium. For a second, the attacks stood at a standstill as neither move could overpower the other. But then, the build-up of energy became so great that it all exploded in a large *BOOM!*

Both Pokemon were hit with the explosion as shockwaves ripped through the air and all the people in the stands shielded their faces. Smoke filled the battlefield and nobody could see what had happened to either Pokemon. Ash tried to search for Pikachu using his Aura. As he scanned the battlefield area, he came across two Aura signatures-one for each Pokemon. Ash detected that one of the Pokemon was still able to battle while the other one was unconscious. However, he couldn't tell which one was Pikachu.

Ash didn't have to think for long, however. The smoke cleared and Ash opened his eyes to see which Pokemon had won.

**Author's Note: Personally, I don't consider describing battles to be my strong point. If you did like how my description of the battle turned out, let me know. I feel motivated to write when people tell me my writing doesn't suck.**

**So anyway, the battle between Ash and Cynthia is underway and one of them has their first Pokemon defeated...but which one of them?**

**Find out next time in Pokemon: The Final Victory.**


	4. Water vs Grass

Ash opened his eyes to see the smoke from the explosion clearing and both Pikachu and Spiritomb came into view on the battlefield. A big smile spread across his face as he saw which Pokemon was still standing.

"Spiritomb is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" said the referee. The arena erupted into cheers as Cynthia recalled Spiritomb back to its Pokeball.

"And Ash Ketchum wins the first round of this battle! And what a finish it was!" exclaimed the announcer.

"Alright! Ash and Pikachu did it!" cheered Dawn. Piplup jumped up and down excited as well. "Piplup! Piplup!"

"Phew, that was close." said May. "But since that was only the first round of the battle, imagine how exciting the rest of it will be!"

"You're right, May. It's just getting started. It's sure to be great battle but Ash still has a long way to go before he wins." said Misty.

"Way to go, Pikachu!" Ash cheered. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Ash. It was close, but I won! I could use a break, though. Can I have a rest and battle later in the fight?"

"Sure, Pikachu. Return." Pikachu ran off the battlefield back to Ash.

"Ash calls back Pikachu as both trainers prepare to release their next Pokemon." said the announcer.

"Go, Gastrodon!" cried Cynthia.

The pink Gastrodon appeared on the battlefield as Ash was glad he had the perfect Pokemon to counter it.

"Go, Sceptile!" Ash shouted as he threw his Pokeball and Sceptile landed on the battlefield.

"It was very surprising when Ash told us he would use Sceptile today. I thought he would go for Torterra which has more defense or Venusaur who has more attack power." said Tracey.

"Out of Ash's four Grass Pokemon, Venusaur has the most attack power, Torterra has the most defense, but Meganium and Sceptile are the two middle Pokemon of the four. Why would Ash not go with one of his two best choices?" wondered Dawn. "I know Ash wants to keep an average balance between attack and defense but using an 'average' Pokemon may not be enough even though I know that Grass Pokemon have an advantage over Water Pokemon like Gastrodon."

"Well, Ash said he wasn't looking for the _strongest_ Pokemon for this battle, he was looking for the _right_ Pokemon. Ash must have something up his sleeve so we'll just have to see what he does." said Gary.

The referee raised his hands and said, "Begin!"

"Gastrodon, use Muddy Water!" said Cynthia. A tidal wave made of water and mud headed for Sceptile but Ash had prepared his Pokemon for big attacks like this one and knew how to defend.

"Sceptile, jump!" Ash shouted. Sceptile leaped into the air until he was just above the wave of muddy water. "Now strike downwards and use Leaf Blade!" A long, sharp, blade of grass appeared on Sceptile's arm and he fell downwards and his bladed arm struck the wave. The Leaf Blade sliced through the Muddy Water wave and split it in two. Sceptile had broken the move up and landed on the ground without any damage.

The crowd was amazed how Sceptile had managed to stop that attack but there was no time to wonder at it, Cynthia immediately called out Gastrodon's next move. "Use Stone Edge!" Sharp shards of rock came flying through the air towards Sceptile.

"Use Agility, Sceptile!" said Ash. Sceptile ran towards Gastrodon while avoiding the Stone Edge flying towards him. In the stands, Ash's friends had finally realized something.

"I get it now! How could we have forgotten? Ash decided to use Sceptile because of its speed!" Tracey realized.

"Of course! Sceptile is the fastest of Ash's Grass Pokemon! Ash must've chosen speed over power and defense because he knew how slow Gastrodon is!" exclaimed Misty.

As soon as Sceptile was within striking distance, Ash called out the next attack. "Now use Leaf Blade, Sceptile!" he commanded. The sharp Leaf Blade struck Gastrodon and threw it off balance. Ash quickly took advantage of the situation and followed up one grass attack with another. "Use Bullet Seed!" A barrage of seeds hammered down on Gastrodon. Sceptile back flipped and landed back on the ground in front of Ash. The two super effective attacks had done some serious damage on Gastrodon but it was still far from over.

Ash had a huge burst of momentum from those two hits and immediately kept going. "Use Bullet Seed again, Sceptile!" Another barrage of seeds flew through the air towards Gastrodon but before they hit their mark, Cynthia commanded an attack that could mean big trouble for a Grass Pokemon!

"Gastrodon, use Sludge Bomb!" commanded Cynthia. A barrage of poisonous sludge flew through the air and hit the Bullet Seed attack. The Sludge Bomb was the stronger attack, however and blew through the Bullet Seed and hit Sceptile so fast it couldn't dodge!

"I wasn't expecting an attack like that!" said a worried Dawn. "Poison attacks are super effective against Grass Pokemon!"

"She must've taught her Pokemon that attack as a counter move in case Gastrodon ever had to face a Grass Pokemon." said Brock.

Sceptile slowly got back on its feet after taking a hit from Sludge Bomb. Ash was very surprised and thought, "_I have to be careful now that I know about Sludge Bomb. No room for risky attacks or else Sceptile's done for!_" Ash knew he couldn't use Bullet Seed again because Gastrodon would just blast through it with Sludge Bomb again so he decided to use Sceptile's speed to his advantage and said, "Sceptile, Agility!" Sceptile sped towards Gastrodon at high speeds.

"Gastrodon, use Muddy Water!" cried Cynthia. Gastrodon let out another wave of muddy water as Ash saw there wasn't any time to break up the move and Sceptile was going too fast to stop or dodge so there was nowhere to go but up!

"Jump right over the wave and then keep running, Sceptile!" Ash called. Sceptile leaped over the Muddy Water wave but before he landed, Cynthia called another attack while Sceptile was in mid air.

"Now use Sludge Bomb, Gastrodon!" Cynthia shouted. If Ash was in his earlier years during his Pokemon journeys, he would've panicked at that moment since Sceptile couldn't dodge because he was in mid air and a super effective attack was coming right at him. But Ash had come a long way since those early days and kept a clear head and stayed calm.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade to block it!" Ash shouted quickly. This time, Leaf Blades grew out of both of Sceptile's arms instead of just one. Sceptile's Leaf Blades cut through nearly all of the Sludge Bomb barrage until the very last ball of sludge hit Sceptile in its left flank. Ash shrugged off that hit and told Sceptile to keep going with multiple Leaf Blade attacks. "Keep using Leaf Blade, Sceptile!" Sceptile obeyed and hit Gastrodon with three consecutive hits.

Suddenly, Sceptile stopped attacking and dropped down to one knee while clutching its side. Ash and his friends watching immediately knew what had happened. "That one last hit from Sludge Bomb poisoned Sceptile!" exclaimed Gary.

Cynthia took advantage of the weakened Sceptile and commanded, "Use Hydro Pump, Gastrodon!" The powerful burst of water hit Sceptile and he crashed to the ground in front of his trainer. Sceptile was hurt badly.

"Sceptile! You can't give up!" Ash shouted, encouraging his Pokemon. Sceptile struggled to his feet, flinching as the poison drained his energy. Sceptile couldn't last for long with a status ailment and Gastrodon had taken multiple super effective hits from Leaf Blades and Bullet Seeds.

Both Pokemon were reaching the ends of their ropes and like Pikcahu's battle against Spiritomb, Ash knew he had to end this with one last attack, and quickly because Sceptile's energy was falling with every second. "Sceptile, let's end this right now! Solarbeam!" cried Ash. In an instant, Sceptile had gathered all the energy it needed to attack. Ash's friends in the crowd as well as the others watching were amazed and confused all at once.

"Solarbeam is supposed to take an entire turn of battle to charge! How could Sceptile gather the energy that fast?" asked Cynthia, amazed at what she had seen.

"When I trained my Sceptile, I concentrated on raising its speed to its maximum level! And eventually, its speed increased so much, that it didn't need to waste a turn gathering energy for Solarbeam!" Ash replied.

"Now, FIRE!" he screamed. Sceptile let out all the energy as Cynthia countered with one last Sludge Bomb. Both attacks met in the middle of the battlefield and remained at a standstill. But Ash refused to give up and shouted, "Sceptile, give it your full power! Put everything you have into that Solarbeam!" Sceptile narrowed its eyes, dug deep, and let everything go in that attack.

Suddenly, Sceptile began to glow bright green. Ash immediately knew that it was Sceptile's special ability, Overgrow. The Solarbeam grew even more intense from Sceptile's newfound power. Ash smiled. He now knew that Gastrodon was finished for sure.

The Solarbeam overpowered and blasted through the Sludge Bomb and the grass attack engulfed Gastrodon's entire body. As the attack ended, Gastrodon came into view again. It was lying on the ground, defeated. Ash was about to cheer but Sceptile then fell to the ground defeated, too. The poison had just sapped the last bit of energy from Sceptile's body.

"Both Gastrodon and Sceptile are unable to battle!" declared the referee.

Ash and Cynthia both returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs. "You did great. You hung in there and managed to pull off a draw. Good work, Sceptile. Now take a rest." Ash said.

Back at Prof. Oak's Lab in Pallet Town, Ash's Pokemon were discussing Sceptile's battle. "It looks like Ash made the right choice using Sceptile. Not even I could last that long against a poison attack." said Meganium.

"I could've lasted longer." boasted Venusaur. "Being partly a Poison Pokemon instead of being purely Grass, Sludge Bomb wouldn't have done as much damage to me as it would've done to Sceptile."

"Oh stop bragging, Venusaur." said an annoyed Torterra. "You have to at least admit that he lasted longer against Gastrodon than even we could've expected. And Ash is still winning with five Pokemon remaining while Cynthia only has four."

"Shhh. Be quiet and watch the TV. Ash is getting ready to choose his next Pokemon." said Infernape.

**Author's Note: So there's chapter four. Sorry that it took a while but school's started again for me so updates will be less often so just bear with me. Rest assured, I'll be writing whenever I have a free day.**

**So Pikachu managed to defeat Spiritomb while Gastrodon and Sceptile's battle ended in a tie. Which Pokemon will Ash and Cynthia choose next? And who will ultimately emerge victorious?**

**Find out next time in Pokemon: The Final Victory.**


	5. A Dragon Raging Inferno

Back at the Sinnoh Stadium, Ash and Cynthia were ready to choose their next Pokemon for the battle. Ash had lost one Pokemon while Cynthia had lost two. Ash may have had the upper hand at the moment, but it was only a slim one so it was still anyone's fight.

"Go, Lucario!" cried Cynthia.

Preparation and training were once again on Ash's side when he saw Lucario being released because Ash knew that like Gastrodon, he had the perfect Pokemon to counter Lucario with. "_Lucario is a Fighting/Steel type Pokemon._" Ash thought. "_Fighting Pokemon are weak against Flying attacks, Steel Pokemon are weak against Fire attacks. There's only one Pokemon I need for this battle!_"

"Go, Charizard!" Ash called. Charizard appeared on the battlefield and roared to the crowd signifying that he was ready to fight!

"It looks like Ash made the right choice using Charizard since it has a double type advantage over Lucario!" said Tracey.

"Yeah, and since Ash knows how to use Aura like Lucario, Ash probably knows how its attacks work and how to counter them!" agreed Dawn.

"I though Ash would try to match speed with speed and use Infernape instead. Lucario is very quick so Infernape would be able to keep up with it. But Charizard is still an excellent choice and will hopefully pull through for him." said Gary.

The referee raised his hands and announced, "Begin!"

"Charizard, Dragon Rage!" Ash commanded. A ball of orange energy gathered up in Charizard's mouth and he let it go.

Cynthia was ready, though and countered with a similar energy ball. "Use Aura Sphere, Lucario!" A blue ball of energy quickly formed in Lucario's hands and he threw it towards Charizard. Ash used his Aura to gauge the power of the Aura Sphere. "_Not a bad attack._" Ash thought. "_But I can see it's still not as powerful as Charizard's Dragon Rage._" Ash was correct in his Aura readings and the Dragon Rage blew through the Aura Sphere and hit Lucario.

"Extreme Speed, Lucario!" said Cynthia. Lucario zoomed towards Charizard so fast that nobody could see it move, not even Ash's Aura-sensing abilities could keep up with Lucario's movements! The speedy attack hit Charizard, knocking him off balance. Cynthia saw her chance to land another hit. "Now use Aura Sphere!" she called. Charizard took another hit and stumbled backwards. Ash decided it was time to get out of harm's way and go on the offensive for a change.

"Fly, Charizard!" he commanded. Charizard took to the air, ready to attack. "Now use Flamethrower!" Ash continued. Charizard breathed out a long stream of fire from his mouth down on Lucario.

"Blow through it with Aura Sphere!" cried Cynthia. Lucario threw another ball of Aura into the Flamethrower. Using his Aura, Ash saw that this Aura Sphere was much stronger than the last one Lucario had used. Charizard wouldn't be able to deflect this one!

"Charizard, avoid it!" Ash quickly called. Charizard veered out of the way of the Aura Sphere as it cut through his Flamethrower and it missed him. "Now use Wing Attack!" Charizard raced down towards Lucario and prepared to hit with his wings.

"Block it with Metal Claw!" Cynthia commanded. Charizard's Wing Attack was stopped by Metal Claw as both of Lucario's claws pushed back against Charizard's wings. Both Pokemon pushed with their claws/wings trying to overpower the other.

Ash quickly figured out a way to break this stalemate. "Charizard, your arms are free! Use Seismic Toss!" Charizard grabbed Lucario and flew him into the air. Little did Ash know that Cynthia was prepared for close quarters combat like this!

"Lucario, break free with Close Combat!" Cynthia quickly shouted. Lucario began struggling until he was able to move a little and began throwing punches and kicks which hurt Charizard and forced him to let Lucario go. Charizard's Seismic Toss had failed.

"_What can I do now? If I use Seismic Toss, Lucario will break free with Close Combat. If I use Wing Attack, Lucario will block it with Metal Claw._" Ash thought to himself. "_Wait a minute, that's it! Even if Charizard's Wing Attack is blocked and it can't use Seismic Toss, there is still one secret move I can use! I just hope it's enough to beat Lucario._" But while Ash was thinking this strategy, Cynthia suddenly decided to attack!

"Use Extreme Speed and follow with Metal Claw!" said Cynthia, using the opportunity to attack while Ash was too busy thinking. As strong as Charizard was, he couldn't avoid an attack that fast. And Metal Claw hit its mark, knocking Charizard to the ground.

Ash's mind suddenly came back to focusing on the battle. "Charizard, are you okay?" Ash asked. Charizard nodded and got back to his feet. Ash was now ready to use his strategy. "Okay, Charizard. Use Wing Attack!" Ash said. Charizard flew towards Lucario ready to try to strike with his wings again.

"Use Aura Sphere!" Cynthia called to Lucario. Her Pokemon began throwing multiple blue balls of Aura towards Charizard but Ash was ready for this.

"Keep going, Charizard! And use Flamethrower to shoot down those Aura Spheres!" Charizard kept flying and shot out mini Flamethrowers which destroyed the Aura Spheres coming at him. Ash's heart was pounding as Charizard got closer and closer to Lucario.

"Block Wing Attack with Metal Claw!" Cynthia called to Lucario. Lucario's claws once again pushed back on Charizard's wings as once again, the Pokemon were locked in a stalemate.

"_It's now or never. I hope Charizard can pull this off!_" Ash quickly thought. "Ready, Charizard? Use FLAME DRAGON RAGE!"

All of Ash's friends looked confused but excited at the same time when they heard Ash call out that attack. All except Dawn, that is. She knew exactly what Ash was planning.

"Flame Dragon Rage? What's that?" asked Gary.

"Just wait and see, everyone. Ash has this battle in the bag!" Dawn said confidently.

Charizard began charging a large Dragon Rage attack in his mouth. But when it was large enough, Charizard didn't release it. Instead, he breathed a Flamethrower attack into the Dragon Rage, giving the dragon attack an added burst of power with fire mixed into it. Once it was powerful enough, Charizard let the combined attacks out in a giant beam of fiery energy that hit Lucario at close range since it was still locked in a stalemate with Charizard's wings.

Lucario went flying back and crashed into the wall surrounding the battlefield and then fell to the ground, defeated.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Charizard is the winner!" declared the referee.

The crowd cheered with excitement at seeing the combination of two attacks in one.

"What a an amazing finish to this battle, folks! Charizard was able to combine Flamethrower and Dragon Rage into one attack and defeat Lucario!" said the announcer.

"Wow, I've seen Ash use combination moves like that in battles before but never one that's that impressive!" said May, amazed at the sight.

"Hey Dawn, why weren't you surprised like the rest of us?" asked Brock.

"Well, I actually helped Ash in developing that combo attack. I trained with him a few times before and helped him in developing and perfecting Flame Dragon Rage." explained Dawn. "He's used it in practice many times but this is the first time I've seen him use it in a real battle."

Ash looked up in the crowd and glanced at Dawn. "_Thanks for your help, Dawn._" Ash said, using his Aura to speak to her. "_I owe it to you for defeating Lucario. Without your help, I may have never been able to correctly teach Charizard how to pull that move off._"

Ash returned Charizard to its Pokeball and looked back at Cynthia as the Sinnoh Champion grabbed her next Pokeball, ready to continue the fight. Ash felt very comfortable knowing that he had defeated half of her Pokemon team while he had only lost one Pokemon so far.

**Author's Note: Thanks to Dawn, Ash was able to pull off a new attack and win another round in the battle.**

**The battle will continue in next chapter of Pokemon: The Final Victory.**

**P.S. I'm sorry if this chapter is short but I haven't had a lot of time for writing with school being a pain and I wanted to get this part finished as soon as possible.**

**And for those of you who have been asking me about who Ash's girlfriend is, you'll have to keep reading to find out. It will be announced later in the story. I will say that it will be either Misty, May, or Dawn.**


	6. Type Advantage Isn't Everything

Ash was feeling very excited. Cynthia had half of her Pokemon team defeated while he had lost only one Pokemon. And when Cynthia called out her next Pokemon, Ash felt that his victory was finally within his grasp.

"Go, Milotic!" Cynthia called.

"_This is perfect!_" Ash thought. "_Grass and Electric attacks are super effective against Water Pokemon so even though Sceptile's defeated, Pikachu can still battle!_"

"Have you had a good rest after fighting Spiritomb, Pikachu?" Ash asked his friend standing beside him.

"Yep, I'm ready for another fight!" Pikachu answered confidently.

"Then let's go, Pikachu!" shouted Ash as Pikachu ran back out on the battlefield.

"Pikachu against Milotic is a good match." said May.

"Yes, Pikachu may have the advantage but don't forget that it took quite a lot of damage from fighting Spiritomb. This battle may not be as one-sided as Ash thinks." said Brock.

"Ash decides to use Pikachu for the second time in this battle while Cynthia uses Milotic." said the Announcer.

"Begin!" the referee declared.

Feeding off of his emotions, Ash decided to strike the first blow. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" he cried. Pikachu launched his attack at a high speed towards Milotic and hit its mark, but Cynthia remained calm.

"Use Mirror Coat!" Cynthia said to Milotic. Her Water Pokemon began to glow and then sent the attack right back at Pikachu with twice the power!

"Dodge it with Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Ash quickly shouted. Pikachu just managed to dodge out of the way of the reflected attack. "Now keep running Pikachu!" Pikachu kept up the Quick Attack and headed straight for Milotic.

"Milotic, use Surf!" Cynthia called. Milotic unleashed a large wave of water upon Pikachu. But Ash had already dealt with Surf in this battle; Gastrodon's Surf attack. Therefore he knew how to avoid it like last time.

"Jump and break that move up with Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. Pikachu leapt in the air and cut through the wave of water with his powerful tail but he unknowingly put Pikachu in danger of an attack!

"Use Ice Beam, Milotic!" Cynthia shouted. Milotic shot a beam of ice from its mouth right towards Pikachu.

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash commanded, thinking on his feet. The two attacks met in mid-air and the power caused them to explode once they hit each other. Both Pokemon were caught in the blast and were thrown back and crashed to the ground.

Both Pokemon were hurt. Milotic managed to get up easier than Pikachu, who struggled to get back up.

"Milotic, use Twister!" Cynthia commanded. A huge twisting vortex of wind blew across the battlefield toward Pikachu. Being a small Pokemon, Pikachu was going to be blown away if Ash didn't do something quickly.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground!" Pikachu drove its tail into the ground and it got stuck. Pikachu looked worried and looked back at Ash. "Just trust me, Pikachu." Ash said in a reassuring voice.

As the Twister engulfed Pikachu, Pikachu's tail remained firmly entrenched in the ground. Pikachu wasn't blown away by the attack though the winds were still slightly damaging it. "_As long as Pikachu waits out the Twister, it should be okay._" Ash thought to himself.

But Cynthia took advantage of Pikachu's immobilization and issued another attack! "Milotic, Surf!" A wave of water sped towards Pikachu. The water mixed with the Twister, creating a giant whirlpool which battered him!

"Cynthia's combining two attacks into one! Just like Charizard did to Lucario!" exclaimed Dawn.

"Twister and Surf are creating a whirlpool and Pikachu can't escape! I'm not sure Pikachu can withstand this!" said Misty, with a worried look. Nobody dared to question Misty since she was a Water Pokemon Gym Leader and knew all about Water Pokemon like Milotic.

The water twister ended and Pikachu was lying on the ground, exhausted. Pikachu used what little energy he had left and got back up...barely.

"_Darn it!_" thought Ash. "_Using Pikachu's immobility to her advantage and putting two attacks together into one just like I did! Pikachu can't last much longer, so I guess I just have to go for broke!_"

"Okay, Pikachu. We have one last chance to win this round. Use Volt Tackle!" Ash called to Pikachu. Pikachu ran towards Milotic with its body glowing with electricity.

"_I only need one more attack to win this round._" thought Cynthia. "Stop Pikachu with Ice Beam!" She shouted to Milotic. The Ice beam hit Pikachu and damaged him but he pushed through and hit Milotic with the super-effective Volt Tackle.

Milotic had taken a fairly large hit from Volt Tackle but was still able to fight. Pikachu on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The damage from Ice Beam and the recoil damage from Volt Tackle was just too much. Pikachu collapsed to the ground, defeated.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Milotic is the winner!" the referee declared, causing Cynthia's fans to cheer for the Champion.

Ash ran out onto the battlefield and picked up Pikachu in his arms. "Pikachu, say something, please!" Ash whispered to his friend.

"A-Ash?" said Pikachu.

"Don't worry, buddy. You've been through battles worse than this so you should be fine."

Ash carried Pikachu back to the trainer's space on the battlefield and laid Pikachu on the ground beside his feet. "You did a great job, Pikachu. Just rest now." Ash had a tough situation now, even though he still had four Pokemon left.

"_Oh, man. With both Sceptile and Pikachu defeated, I have no more Pokemon that would be a good match against a Water Pokemon like Milotic._" Ash though to himself. "_I can't use Charizard, he wouldn't last long against a Water Pokemon. Who do I have left? Unless..._"

**Author's Note: It looks like the tables may have turned on Ash. Can he recover and get this battle back on track or is this the start of a comeback for Cynthia? And can you guess which Pokemon he'll use next?**

**The battle continues next time in Pokemon: The Final Victory.**


	7. Water vs Water

Ash was in a tight spot. With Sceptile and Pikachu both defeated, he had no more Pokemon that could match up against Milotic...until he got an idea.

"It looks like I'll just have to fight water with water! Go, Feraligatr!" Ash screamed as he threw his Lure Ball. The huge, ferocious-looking Water Pokemon appeared on the battlefield and growled with power.

"It'll be interesting to see how Ash deals with this. Water attacks aren't very powerful on other Water Pokemon. What does Ash have planned?" Gary wondered, aloud.

"This is wonderful! Two powerful Water Pokemon battling it out in a match like this!" Misty exclaimed. Everyone else sighed. Misty _always_ got excited around Water Pokemon.

"It's a duel between Water Pokemon as Ash chooses Feraligatr as his next Pokemon!" declared the announcer.

"Begin the next round!" said the referee.

"Milotic, use Surf!" cried Cynthia. Milotic created another tidal wave of water that sped towards Feraligatr.

"Stop the water with Ice Punch!" Ash called to his Pokemon. Feraligatr's claw glowed with white energy and it struck the tidal wave, freezing it in its place. The wave had become sort of a giant ice wall separating the two Pokemon.

It didn't stay that way for long, however. Ash called out the next attack. "Feraligatr, use Slash!" Feraligatr reached back and then used his powerful claws to strike the ice with all his might. The ice shattered into dozens of sharp shards and chunks, which flew through the air due to the momentum of the Slash attack and they hit Milotic.

Everyone gasped as Milotic was bombarded with the razor-sharp ice shards, damaging it.

"Well, ice attacks may not be very effective on Water Pokemon, but they are still more powerful than regular water attacks." said Brock.

"Ash is playing it safe, using Feraligatr's Ice Punch and water attacks to his advantage just like he's done before." Misty realized.

Everyone looked at her confused. 'Just like he's done before'? Misty noticed the confused look on everyone's face and explained.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that I helped Ash in training his Water Pokemon. Since I'm a Water Pokemon expert, Ash said that he wanted to be prepared in case of a battle where Feraligatr or another of his Water Pokemon were facing another Water Pokemon. I helped in developing ice attacks for his Pokemon to counter the water."

"Well, it appears to be working, Misty!" Tracey commented.

"Use Ice Beam!" Cynthia commanded. Milotic obeyed and shot out a beam of white energy.

"_Just what I was hoping for!_" Ash thought to himself. "Hydro Pump, Feraligatr!" Ash's Water Pokemon released a long, powerful beam of water that flew towards the Ice Beam. As the two attacks met, the Ice Beam froze the stream of water from the Hydro Pump into a pillar of ice.

"Wow! That looks a lot like Ice Aqua Jet that Floatzel can use!" Dawn realized.

"You're right! A straight beam of water, frozen to make a powerful ice attack!" agreed Tracey.

The pillar of ice that was the result of a frozen Hydro Pump, flew through the air towards Milotic but Cynthia ordered for Milotic to get out of its way. "Dodge it, Milotic!" she called. Milotic jumped into the air and the ice pillar shattered into pieces as it hit the ground.

Milotic landed back on the battlefield as Cynthia was prepared to strike again. "Use Twister!" she shouted. The Twister sucked up all the pieces of ice that lay on the ground and it sped towards Feraligatr, damaging it as the blowing ice bombarded him.

When the attack ended, Feraligatr looked hurt, but was still standing and able to fight.

"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" Ash's Water Pokemon shot out a powerful beam of water towards Milotic.

"Milotic, use Mirror Coat!" Cynthia shouted. Milotic began to glow and then sent the water attack right back at Feraligatr.

"Feraligatr, you take it!" Ash cried. Although hit by his own Hydro Pump, Feraligatr shrugged off the attack with only minimum damage taken. The water however, fell across the entire battlefield, drenching it wet.

"Time to mix things up a bit a bit! Feraligatr, Ice Punch right on the battlefield!" Ash commanded. Feraligatr's fist glowed white with ice power and then struck the water-covered ground causing all the water to freeze, turning the surface of the battlefield into a smooth, icy field.

"Wow! That's a new one!" said a surprised Gary.

"Did Ash ever use THAT move in practice, Misty?" asked Dawn.

"No, this is the first time I've ever seen Ice Punch used like that!" Misty replied.

"Alright Feraligatr, you know what to do. Go for it!" said Ash. Feraligatr dropped down on all fours and used his hind legs to push himself into a run. The slippery ice made him move even faster than normal.

"Wow, how can Feraligatr move like that?" asked May.

"It may not look like it, but Feraligatr can actually move very quickly when it wants to." replied Misty.

"That's because of its strong hind legs that exert a lot of force to push it when running." Gary added.

Feraligatr charged across the battlefield straight towards Milotic. Cynthia realized she had to stop Ash's Pokemon. "Use Ice Beam!" she called out to her Pokemon as Milotic launched the attack.

"Go right!" Ash called and Feraligatr shifted his weight to the side very slightly, using his momentum in combination with the ice to safely dodge Milotic's attack. Minimum effort with maximum payoff. "Now turn!" Feraligatr dug his claws into the ice to turn and slid around the confused Milotic and then stopped abruptly when he was directly behind it.

Milotic didn't even have time to react as Ash called out the next attack. "Now, use Bite!" Feraligatr used its powerful jaws to bite down hard on Milotic's tail, which caused Milotic to cry out in pain but Ash wasn't done yet!

"Slam it down!" he cried and Feraligatr swung Milotic around and slammed it into the hard ground. "And finally, use Slash!" Ash finished as Feraligatr hit Milotic with its claws.

"Talk about a change of pace!" said Dawn. "First Ash plays it safe by using Hydro Pump and Ice Punch, and now he's using an all-out offense with Feraligatr's physical attacks!"

"Ash is changing his battling style to confuse his opponent and keep Cynthia guessing!" Brock added.

Cynthia appeared to be out of options until she said, "Grab Feraligatr, Milotic!" Her Pokemon used its long, thick body like a noose and wrapped itself around Feraligatr as Milotic began to strangle him.

"_Feraligatr may have very strong, tough skin but not even he can withstand a wrap that tight!_" Ash quickly though to himself. "Feraligatr, use Bite and Slash to escape!" he desperately called to his Pokemon. Feraligatr tried to bite and claw his way free from the deadly hold that Milotic had on him. His attacks damaged Milotic more and more but Milotic didn't loosen its grip. The crowd gasped at the physical battle at hand.

"Now, Milotic! Use Twister!" Cynthia commanded and Milotic began forming a twister around the entangled Pokemon.

"_I'm not gonna give up. If my Pokemon is going down, I'm taking Milotic down with him!_" Ash thought. "Use Slash right at the ground, Feraligatr!" Using his free claw, he struck the ice-covered ground which caused a big crack to form in the ice, which spread out into more cracks and weakened the ice on the field.

Then, with the ice unstable, the suction power from the twister sucked up the chunks of ice, turning it into a vortex of ice and cold, like a blizzard. Both Pokemon were bombarded with ice and were taking major damage. The winds became so intense that Ash, Cynthia, and the people in the stands had to cover their heads to protect themselves against the high, ice-cold winds.

As the twister subsided, the Pokemon came back into view. The high winds had shattered the ice chunks into snow dust that blew away from the battlefield in the calm winds, leaving the field as clear as it was before. Both Pokemon were lying on the ground, motionless.

The referee ran over to check on them and announced, "Both Milotic and Feraligatr are unable to battle!"

"Wow, what an incredible display of power!" said May.

"And now Cynthia is down to two Pokemon and Ash is down to three. It's still a very close match." said Gary as the two trainers returned their respective Water Pokemon.

"_That was very close. Milotic is the strongest of Cynthia's Pokemon so far._" Ash thought to himself. "_Thanks for your help, Misty. Without the training practice you gave me, Feraligatr might not have been able to pull this off._" he said to her, using his Aura.

**Author's Note: So, with a little help from Misty, Ash was able to defeat Milotic, the strongest of Cynthia's Pokemon thus far, but losing Feraligatr in the process.**

**Ash's exciting battle continues in the next chapter of Pokemon: The Final Victory.**


	8. Victory Within His Grasp

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who sent me ideas for the story's ending! I've picked one to be used but you'll have to read until the end of the story to find out which one it is! And I'll say this beforehand, I'm sorry that this is my shortest chapter yet, but come on, Flying Pokemon always pwn Grass Pokemon, right?**

It was time for the trainers to select their next Pokemon and continue the match. Ash had three Pokemon remaining while Cynthia had only two. Having only barely been able to defeat Milotic - Cynthia's strongest Pokemon thus far, - Ash wondered just how strong her next Pokemon would be and which one she'd use. His question was answered as Cynthia threw her next Pokeball.

"Go, Roserade!" Cynthia called out.

"_A Grass Pokemon..._" Ash thought. "_I should use Charizard again...no, wait. I should save Charizard for her final Pokemon. If I know Cynthia, she's saving her strongest for last, but so am I!_" **(A/N: And no, I'm not talking about Charizard. Charizard's NOT the strongest Pokemon he's saving! Hint, hint.) **"_I'll have to use my third and final choice of the three Pokemon I have left!_"

"Go, Staraptor!" Ash cried.

"A good match-up for Ash." said Dawn. "Flying Pokemon are powerful against Grass Pokemon."

"But don't forget that Swellow is a lot faster than Staraptor, and Pidgeot has had a lot more experience." Brock reminded everyone.

"Begin!" declared the referee.

"Staraptor, Quick Attack!" Ash said to his Pokemon. Staraptor zoomed through the air towards Roserade.

"Energy Ball, Roserade!" Cynthia called out. Roserade formed a green ball of energy and launched it towards Staraptor.

"Staraptor, dodge it and keep going!" Ash shouted. Staraptor maneuvered around the energy ball heading towards it and kept up its Quick Attack, which hit Roserade and knocked it off balance. Ash decided to keep going on the offense. "Now use Aerial Ace!" Staraptor circled around and flew back again towards Roserade even faster than before, landing another hit!

"Close Combat!" said Ash as he continued. Staraptor swooped in for another attack.

"Roserade, Shadow Ball!" cried Cynthia. Her Pokemon launched a dark ball of energy towards Staraptor.

"Block it with Close Combat!" Ash commanded and Staraptor knocked the Shadow Ball away. But Cynthia wasn't ready to give up just yet!

"Keep up the Shadow Ball attacks, Roserade!"

"Keep blocking them with Close Combat!"

Staraptor was blocking everything being thrown at it, but more attacks just kept coming!

"Well folks, it looks like we have a stalemate, this has become a battle of endurance! Neither Pokemon is giving an inch, but they can only keep up their attacks for so long! Who will be the first to break?" the announcer called.

That question was quickly answered as Staraptor let up the attack for only a second, causing some Shadow Balls to hit it and damage it. Deciding to take advantage of Staraptor being off-guard, Cynthia decided to use something a bit more powerful.

"Use Solarbeam, quickly!" she commanded. Roserade began to charge up the power for its attack.

"_Solarbeam takes time to charge up._" Ash thought. "_I've got to attack now while I have the chance!_" "Hurry, Staraptor! Use Aerial Ace!" Staraptor zoomed through the air and struck Roserade another super-effective hit, but Roserade managed to get back up again and continued charging its attack.

"_If Solarbeam hits, it'll cause a lot of damage. I've gotta end this right now!_" Ash said in his mind. "Staraptor, use Brave Bird!" Staraptor flew towards Roserade, its body glowing a bright red which changed to a blue color as it got closer.

"Launch it now, Roserade!" Cynthia shouted, and Roserade fired its Solarbeam right at the incoming Staraptor, who was using Brave Bird. With a more than a bit of a struggle, Staraptor managed to break through the Solarbeam and strike Roserade with all its might!

Staraptor landed on the ground, hurt by the recoil damage from Brave Bird. Roserade lay on the ground motionless.

"Roserade is unable to battle! Staraptor wins!" declared to referee.

So far, as each round of the battle had passed, the crowd's cheers grew louder and louder, but this one was almost deafening! Nobody could believe it, the Sinnoh champion had been battled all the way down to her final Pokemon!

"Amazing! Ash has battled through five of Cynthia's Pokemon and now she's left with only one, while Ash still has three!" said May.

"You can win this, Ash! Do it for all of us!" shouted Dawn. Piplup responded in kind. "Piplup! Pip! Lup! Piplup!"

Cynthia returned Roserade and then faced Ash so she could speak to him. "I have to say Ash, looking at your Pokemon and the way they battle, I can see how you were able to come this far and beat all the Elite Four. Your Pokemons' attacks, techniques, and conditioning are all exceptional. Some of the Elite Four I've battled have also pushed me to my last Pokemon." Cynthia grabbed her Pokeball and prepared to toss it. "But this Pokemon has never tasted defeat, it has never lost a battle. Go, Garchomp!"

Garchomp appeared on the field and roared with power, "Garrr!"

"And as her final Pokemon, Cynthia chooses her Garchomp!" said the announcer.

"So Garchomp has never lost a battle, huh?" Ash asked. "Well Cynthia, unfortunately for you, Garchomp's unbeaten winning streak ends TODAY!" Ash said with bold confidence. He had a look of grit and determination on his face. A face expression that said, 'You're going down!'

Ash's girlfriend was very excited. Seeing Ash all fired up like that always got her excited, too.

"Are you ready, Staraptor?" Ash asked his Flying Pokemon.

"Let's do this, Ash!" Staraptor replied.

"It's time to wrap this battle up! Let's bring this one home!" Ash declared.

**To be continued in the next chapter of Pokemon: The Final Victory.**


	9. The Amazing Comeback

**Author's Note: Special thanks goes out to Sonicballzx for providing me the idea for this chapter!**

"It's time to wrap this battle up! Let's bring this one home!" Ash declared.

"Pika! Pikachu!" said Pikachu in excitement, who had since recovered its strength since his battle with Milotic.

"Continue the battle!" the referee cried.

"Staraptor, use Quick Attack!" said Ash. Staraptor flew through the air towards Garchomp at a high rate of speed.

"Garchomp, stop Staraptor with Dragonbreath!" Cynthia shouted. Garchomp breathed out a powerful wave of energy towards Staraptor.

"Staraptor, veer right to dodge it, and then keep flying!" Staraptor complied and flew around the incoming energy wave while still heading towards Garchomp. Staraptor's attack hit its mark but Garchomp just shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"What the-?" Ash was amazed.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to beat my Garchomp." Cynthia said to Ash.

"Really? Then I'll give it some more! Aerial Ace!" Staraptor flew in for another attack.

"Block it, Garchomp!" Garchomp put up its wings and blocked the attack.

"Close Combat!" Ash continued.

"Counter it with Dragon Claw!" Cynthia returned.

Both Pokemon began striking each other, trading blow for blow but Garchomp seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Staraptor was reaching its limit and Cynthia saw her chance to end it for Ash's Flying Pokemon. So when Garchomp got an opening for an attack, Cynthia made her move!

"Dragonbreath, now!" Garchomp blasted Staraptor with its attack at close range, causing it to fly back across the battlefield. "And finish it with Dragon Claw!" she concluded. Garchomp slashed Staraptor with its claws, causing it to fall to the ground, unconscious.

"Staraptor is unable to battle! Garchomp wins!" the referee called out, causing a loud cheer from the crowd.

"And Cynthia shows that she still has some fight left, and Ash is down to two Pokemon!" said the announcer.

"Come on, Ash! It's not over yet! You can still win this!" May shouted.

"_It's time to give Cynthia a taste of her own medicine!_" Ash thought to himself. "_If she's using a Dragon, then I'll use a Dragon!_" "Go, Charizard!" he shouted.

**(A/N: Just FYI, I know Charizard isn't a Dragon-Type Pokemon, it's Fire/Flying. But I wasn't referring to their type in the previous paragraph, I was referring to their physical appearance and nature. They both look like dragons. Got it? Everything clear? Good. Now that that's out of the way, let's continue.)**

"Charizard may be powerful, but is he really powerful enough to beat Garchomp?" Misty wondered.

"I guess we're about to find out, Misty." Tracey answered.

"Begin the next round!" said the referee.

"Garchomp, Dragon Pulse!" commanded Cynthia.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Ash shouted.

Both attacks flew through the air and exploded in the middle of the battlefield, creating a cloud of smoke and dust.

"Fly, Charizard!" Ash called to his Fire Pokemon.

"Shoot it down with Dragonbreath!" Cynthia ordered. But the Dragonbreath attack missed Charizard as it flew away. "After him, Garchomp!" Her Dragon Pokemon zoomed into the air, right behind him like hot on Charizard's tail.

The next few minutes of the battle consisted of Charizard and Garchomp, twisting, turning, dipping, dodging in the air as Flamethrowers and Dragon Pulses flew across the skies. Both Pokemon were dodging and also landing hits on their opponent, but Garchomp's hits seemed to be dealing out more damage. But it would only be a matter of time until one Pokemon became too exhausted to dodge.

Finally, Charizard managed to land a hit on Garchomp with his Flamethrower, forcing it to land back down on the ground. Charizard also flew down and landed on the ground, too.

"Dragon Claw, Garchomp!" Garchomp charged towards Charizard, ready to slash with its claws.

"Charizard, use Dragon Rage!" Charizard launched a ball of orange energy towards Cynthia's Pokemon. Garchomp simply used its claws to slice through the Dragon Rage and it kept rushing towards Charizard.

Ash realized that he had to get Charizard out of the way of the incoming hit, and fast! "Charizard, fly up!" he called. Charizard flew into the air but Garchomp jumped straight up into the air, determined to finish its master's attack command, and land its Dragon Claw.

"_Wait for it, wait for it..._" Ash said in his mind as Garchomp got closer and closer. As soon as he felt Garchomp was close enough to Charizard, he quickly called the next attack. "NOW! Use Dragon Rage, Charizard!" Charizard's attack hit Garchomp at close range, so there was no room or time to dodge. Ash felt that the attack did some serious damage as a cloud of smoke appeared where Garchomp was in the sky above his head - and below Charizard, who was still in the air.

But out of the cloud of smoke, Garchomp emerged and landed its Dragon Claw attack on Charizard! Garchomp had taken some damage but it had shrugged off Charizard's hit like it was nothing!

Both Pokemon landed back down on the ground. Both were breathing heavily from exhaustion and they had both taken some damage but Charizard looked like he had taken the worst of the hits.

"_Charizard can't last much longer. Garchomp is even more powerful than I thought!_" said Ash in his mind. "_Our attacks damage it but Garchomp has incredible defense and stamina, and keeps taking every hit we throw at it!_"

"It's not looking good for Ash and Charizard." said Gary. "No wonder Garchomp has never lost a battle!"

"I must admit Ash, your Charizard is powerful and can actually damage my Garchomp, but it's still too weak to win this battle." said Cynthia. "It's time to end this, use Dragonbreath to finish this, Garchomp."

"This may be the last time I'll get to use this move, so use Flame Dragon Rage, Charizard!" Charizard formed a ball of orange energy in its mouth and then breathed fire into it creating his Flame Dragon Rage, and then he unleashed it right at the same moment that Garchomp released its Dragonbreath.

Both waves of energy met in the middle of the battlefield and collided. Both Pokemon kept up their attacks, but neither attack seemed to overpower the other.

"_I only have one Pokemon left after this round, so Charizard has to make this attack count!_" thought Ash. "Charizard, keep up the attack and fly up!" Charizard kept up its attack and flew straight up into the air.

"Huh? What good will that do?" asked Misty as she watched.

Charizard was now high in the air as he forced his Flame Dragon Rage downwards onto Garchomp. Suddenly, Charizard's attack began to push back Garchomp's Dragonbreath. Everybody in the crowds, Ash's friends, and even Cynthia were confused about how this was possible. So Ash explained it to her.

"It's easier to attack from a higher vantage point, forcing an attack downwards. This is because gravity is working on my side, helping my attack." Ash explained.

The Flame Dragon Rage pushed right through the Dragonbreath and engulfed Garchomp in a fiery, glowing energy blast. But the attack had taken almost all of the energy that Charizard had remaining. Charizard fell back down to the ground, landing on his hands and knees.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Garchomp came into view. It was covered in burns from the intense Flame Dragon Rage attack, but it was still standing strong! Charizard on the other hand, couldn't even get back on his feet. Cynthia simply commanded one last Dragon Pulse attack to finish off Charizard.

"Charizard is unable to battle! Garchomp wins!" declared the referee.

"What an amazing turnaround by Cynthia! Down to her last Pokemon, she has managed to defeat two of Ash's remaining Pokemon in a row! Ash is also down to his final Pokemon, so the winner of this final round will win the match!" the announcer shouted, causing the crowd to cheer.

"Charizard, return." Ash said, calling back his Fire Pokemon to his Pokeball. "You hung in there and did a great job. Now take a break." On the outside, Ash appeared to be keeping his cool, but inside, he felt very nervous. Could Cynthia really be the stronger trainer? Even after all his hard work and preparation?

**Author's Note: So just when Ash thought that this battle was his, Cynthia proves that her Garchomp isn't going to go down easily, and it takes out both Staraptor and Charizard!**

**Ash and Cynthia are both down to their last Pokemon. Cynthia has her Garchomp, can you guess which Pokemon Ash will use? Send me a PM if you want a hint!**

**I only plan on writing around two or three more chapters before I end this story, so be sure to read the next chapter of Pokemon: The Final Victory!**

**P.S. There is a hidden joke in this chapter. Can you find it?**


	10. One Last Round

**Author's Note: This is my longest chapter yet! Out of all the chapters in my story, this is the one I'm most pleased with. Since it's the final round of the battle, I tried to make it as exciting as possible. I hope you love it as much as I loved writing it!**

"Ash," said Pikachu "Don't get yourself down, this isn't over yet. You still have one Pokemon left, so you still have a chance to win this."

Ash still felt and looked a little worried, so Pikachu continued.

"I've been with you every step of the way on our journey together, Ash. We've won some, we've lost some. Your preparation and training with me and the other Pokemon have been excellent. I know - no, we ALL know that you can win this. And even if you don't, we'll just work that much harder for next time! It's like Dawn says, 'No need to worry!'"

Ash smiled down at his little yellow friend. "You're right, Pikachu. I've got nothing to lose. If we don't win, we'll just keep trying until we do!" Ash turned to face Cynthia.

"I think it's only fair to warn you that Garchomp still has at least three quarters of its energy left." Cynthia said to Ash.

"Cynthia, you're Garchomp is strong, but it's not invincible! You see, like you have done, I've also been saving my strongest Pokemon for last! And like your Garchomp, he has also never lost a battle!" Ash replied.

"And what Pokemon would that be? Release it from its Pokeball and we'll put it to the test!"

"Oh, but just like Pikachu, this Pokemon doesn't need a Pokeball!"

"Then where is it?"

"Oh, you'll see soon enough!"

Using his Aura, Ash called out to his Final Pokemon. He simply said, "_It's time._" To which his Pokemon replied, "_Understood. I'm ready._"

Raising his voice to the sky, Ash shouted to everyone who could hear, "I choose you! MEWTWO!" The legendary Psychic Pokemon teleported and appeared in the sky, and then floated down to the battlefield.

"So, you were pushed all the way to your last Pokemon, were you?" asked Mewtwo. **(Ash is the only one who can hear Mewtwo speaking, BTW.)**

"Yeah," Ash replied "And she says that Garchomp has never lost a match."

"Well, neither have I. For one of us, our unbeaten streak will end by the end of this battle." He then added, "And as I told you last night, I'll be holding back my full power. I promise not to raise my energy any higher than her Pokemon's."

"Yeah, you fight your battles fairly and with honor. Like all the Legendary Pokemon are sworn to do."

"Correct. There is no pride or joy in winning when you know your opponent is at a disadvantage."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this it. The final round of the match, and the winner takes it all! Will Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh, triumph? Or will Ash Ketchum win and leave this stadium as a Pokemon Master?" said the announcer.

"Good luck, Ash. I believe in you. I know in my heart that you can win." Ash's girlfriend whispered.

The referee raised his arms and cried, "Begin the final round!"

"Mewtwo, Shadow Ball!" said Ash, and Mewtwo formed a ball of dark energy in his hands.

"Garchomp, Dragon Pulse!" said Cynthia, and Garchomp formed a ball of energy, too.

Both balls of energy flew through the air and exploded once the collided with each other.

"Dragonbreath, Garchomp!" Cynthia said to her Dragon Pokemon, who breathed its powerful attack at Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo, jump and dodge it!" Mewtwo leaped into the air, successfully avoiding the attack. But Cynthia wasn't about to give up!

"Dragon Pulse, again!" shouted Cynthia, and Garchomp launched another ball of energy upwards toward Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo, use Teleport to dodge!" Ash cried. Mewtwo vanished instantly, cause the Dragon Pulse to fly out of the way. Mewtwo then reappeared back down on the ground in front of his trainer.

"Wow, I didn't know Teleport could be used as a dodging move." said Cynthia.

"Well, that's only the beginning of Mewtwo's powers!" said Ash proudly. "You'd be surprised about the many ways Mewtwo can use his attacks!"

"We'll see about that. Garchomp, fly up and use Dragonbreath!" Garchomp took to the air and launched its attack down on Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo fly up to dodge it!" Ash quickly called to Mewtwo. Mewtwo flew up out of danger and he and Garchomp were now facing each other in the sky.

"Dragon Pulse!" commanded Cynthia. Garchomp launched its attack through the air.

"Deflect it with Psychic!" Ash shouted. Mewtwo used his Psychic power to deflect the Dragon Pulse.

"Incredible! They're both launching attack after attack but neither Pokemon has managed to land a hit yet!" exclaimed Brock, as both Pokemon landed back on the ground.

"Garchomp, Dragon Claw!"

"Mewtwo, Brick Break!"

Both Pokemon charged towards each other with their claw/fist ready to strike, and both attacks struck their opponent AT THE SAME TIME! But Cynthia wasn't going to give Mewtwo any time to recover, so she decided to attack while it was off-guard.

"Dragon Claw again, Garchomp!" she ordered. Ash didn't have enough time to order Mewtwo to dodge, and the Dragon Claw hit its mark!

"Strike back with Iron Tail!" Ash shouted. Immediately after being hit with Dragon Claw, Mewtwo twisted his body around and his glowing Iron Tail hit Garchomp on the side of its head. "Hurry Mewtwo, before it can recover! Use Shadow Ball!" But this wasn't just any Shadow Ball! Mewtwo created two Shadow Balls, one in each hand, and then brought his hands together to merge the two attacks into one large Shadow Ball!

And then he launched it right at Garchomp, the attack exploded as it hit, creating a large cloud of smoke. As it cleared, Garchomp could be seen lying down on the ground.

"Could it be?" asked Misty aloud.

"Is it really?" wondered May.

"Has Ash won?" Dawn said half excited, half wondering.

"I have to admit that you were right about Mewtwo being your strongest Pokemon. It can even use more than four attacks." said Cynthia to Ash. "But this battle isn't over yet! Garchomp, get up!" Garchomp got back on its feet, ready to keep going.

"Just when you think it's all over, Garchomp gets back up and is still able to fight! Folks, it looks like this match isn't over, not by a long shot!" said the announcer.

"Continue the match!" the referee cried.

"Garchomp, use Dragon Claw quickly!" Garchomp sped forward and slashed Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo, fight back with Mega Punch!" Mewtwo's fist began to glow and he slugged Garchomp right in the head!

Garchomp became a little dazed and shook its head to clear its mind after taking that blow to its head. Once that was done, Cynthia continued. "Again, use Dragon Claw!" she commanded.

"Teleport out of the way, Mewtwo!" Ash quickly called out. Mewtwo disappeared and reappeared in the air above Garchomp.

"Dragon Pulse!" Cynthia continued. Her Dragon Pokemon launched a ball of energy upwards towards Mewtwo.

"Knock it right back at Garchomp with Iron Tail!" said Ash. Mewtwo's tail glowed and then he struck the Dragon Pulse with it, sending it back down towards Garchomp.

"Dodge out of the way, Garchomp!" Garchomp back flipped out of the way and the deflected Dragon Pulse hit the ground, causing a hole to form in the field.

"Mewtwo, Shadow Ball!"

"Garchomp, Dragonbreath!"

The two attacks flew through the air, collided, and exploded with so much power, that both Pokemon were blown backwards from the blast and crashed to the ground! Both Pokemon managed to struggle back to their feet as their trainers prepared for their most powerful attacks yet!

"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!" Cynthia said, commanding Garchomp's strongest attack!

"Mewtwo, Giga Impact!" Ash cried.

Garchomp's body began to glow with power and then it sped right towards Mewtwo, who had a large energy field surrounding his body, and he headed right towards the charging Garchomp. They collided in a violent explosion of light, dust, and smoke as the power was released and the stadium was shaken to its foundations!

The crowd gasped at the huge amount of power that both Pokemon were capable of. And they then became very silent as they saw Mewtwo and Garchomp's bodies on the ground as the smoke cleared. Slowly but surely, both Pokemon got back up again, despite being covered with bruises and burns!

"Just how much more of this can they take?" asked Tracey.

"Incredible, I've never seen a battle with two Pokemon stronger than these two!" Gary said in awe.

"Mewtwo, are you alright?" Ash asked.

"I...I haven't been pushed this far since...my battle with Mew." he answered.

"Battle with Mew?" Ash was confused.

"Nevermind." Mewtwo said quickly, remembering that Ash didn't remember his battle with Mew on New Island.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mewtwo and Garchomp are still able to battle! It looks like neither one is going to accept defeat!" the announcer said to the crowd.

"Mewtwo, use Hyper Beam!" Mewtwo launched a beam of orange energy from its hands towards Garchomp.

Cynthia was growing desperate. Ash had pushed her and her Pokemon almost past their limit! "Garchomp, use Dragonbreath!" Garchomp breathed its attack right at Mewtwo's Hyper Beam. Garchomp's attack turned out to be the stronger one this time, and it blasted through the Hyper Beam, knocking Mewtwo to the ground.

"Mewtwo, you have to get back up!" Ash shouted.

"I was...created to be...the world's...strongest...Pokemon. I can't...lose...I just...I just can't!" Mewtwo said as he struggled back to his feet.

"Finish Mewtwo with Dragon Claw!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp ran towards Mewtwo, ready to slash with its claws, thought it stumbled from fatigue as it ran.

"Teleport to dodge, Mewtwo! Then use Psychic!" Mewtwo vanished and reappeared right behind Garchomp. He then unleashed his Psychic power on Garchomp, who collapsed to the ground.

The referee ran over to look at Garchomp. After a second, he made his call. "Garchomp is unable - huh?" Garchomp forced itself back up again, the fight wasn't over yet!

"Both Garchomp and Mewtwo look like they're ready to collapse at any moment!" said Brock.

"Mewtwo, looking at Garchomp, I think one last attack is all that's needed for us to win! Can you do it?" Ash asked.

Mewtwo's eyes were squinting from the pain his body was feeling, but he managed to say, "Yes. What ever you need me to do, just say it."

"Then let's win this! Mewtwo use Psycho Boost!" Ash cried. Psycho Boost was Mewtwo's most powerful attack and it was also the hardest one for him to perfect. It was Deoxys who had taught Mewtwo how to use Psycho Boost since he was the only Pokemon who originally knew how to use that attack.

Mewtwo raised his hands above his head and began focusing all his Psychic power into forming a ball of yellow energy.

"_If that attack hits, it's all over for Garchomp!_" Cynthia thought to herself. "Garchomp, use Dragon Pulse!" Cynthia called out to her severely injured Dragon Pokemon. Garchomp also began using the remainder of its power to form an energy sphere.

As Ash watched Garchomp creating a similar ball of energy, he suddenly realized something! "Mewtwo, your attack's not strong enough! Give it some more!" Mewtwo focused more of its power into the Psycho Boost and it began to grow larger!

"Garchomp, make yours bigger, too!" The Psycho Boost and Dragon Pulse attacks continued to grow bigger and bigger until they were so large, each one was half the size of the battlefield, and as high as the highest row of seats in the stands!

"Holy cow!" screamed Misty "I've never seen an attack of that magnitude before, let alone two of them!"

"DO IT NOW!" Ash and Cynthia screamed at exactly the same time! Mewtwo and Garchomp launched their huge Psycho Boost and Dragon Pulse attacks right at each other. The attacks collided and the energy emanating from the attacks caused the ground to shake violently, creating cracks in the battlefield!

Neither attack could overpower the other so Ash decided to give it a boost! "Mewtwo, if you have any energy left, push your attack through with Hyper Beam!" Mewtwo launched his beam of orange energy right at the Psycho Boost, pushing it and the Dragon Pulse right back at Garchomp.

"Fight back with Dragonbreath!" screamed Cynthia. Garchomp pushed its Dragon Pulse attack with its Dragonbreath, resulting in another stalemate! Mewtwo was pushing his Psycho Boost with Hyper Beam, and Garchomp was pushing its Dragon Pulse with Dragonbreath!

The struggle between the two enormous attacks was incredible! Everyone in the crowds were speechless! Soon, the entire stadium felt like it was going to collapse, the Pokemon were at the end of their ropes, and the energy build-up was becoming too much for them to handle!

Ash suddenly realized that all that energy was about to be released all at once! Using his Aura, he frantically spoke to everyone in the stadium saying, "_Get down! It's gonna blow!_" A lot of people didn't know where that voice in their heads came from since they'd never heard of Aura before, but there was no time to wonder, and they did what he said.

Ash grabbed Pikachu, shielding him and he got to him just in time! The intense energy from Mewtwo and Garchomp's last attacks in an attempt to win the battle was released in a huge explosion!

The last thing Ash saw was a giant, flashing beam of light and energy, a deafening *BOOM!*, a wave of rock and rubble that used to be the ground heading right towards him...

And then everything went black.

**Author's Note: Phew, talk about ending with a bang! I think that was my most intense and exciting chapter yet!**

**I know you guys are either going to love me or hate me for putting Mewtwo in this story, but he's my favorite Legendary Pokemon and he doesn't get used in enough stories and what stories he IS used in, he's not used correctly.**

**Next time on Pokemon: The Final Victory, all questions will be answered like,**

**1. What's happened to Ash, Mewtwo, and all the others? Are they okay?**

**2. Who will emerge victorious in the battle? Ash or Cynthia?**

**3. I requested an ending to the story from my viewers and you've responded! Find out whose ending I chose to use in the next chapter!**

**4. And, the question that I've been asked more times than any other throughout my story will finally be answered! That's right, next time... *drumroll***

**THE IDENTITY OF ASH'S GIRLFRIEND WILL BE REVEALED!**

**Taking all bets!**

**Be sure to take the time to vote at the poll on my profile page, too!**

**I'm planning one heck of a finale so don't miss the next chapter of Pokemon: The Final Victory!**

**Oh, and Happy Easter, everyone!**


	11. The Final Victory

**Author's Note: Sorry that my previous chapter ended on a cliffhanger, but I love leaving my readers wanting more! I was going to write this as one chapter, but it got too long and I decided to split it between this chapter and the next one.**

Nobody could believe what had just happened. Mewtwo and Garchomp had just released their full-powered attacks in an effort to win the battle. The explosion from the resulting power was so intense, the stadium's walls fractured, the field was covered with smoke and dust so nobody could see what had happened to the trainers or their Pokemon, and it had knocked out power to all the TV cameras so everyone who was watching back in Pallet Town, and all over the world, just had a blank screen on their TV that read, "We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by."

Ash's Mom had a very scared look on her face. The last thing she saw was the two attacks, the blast of light, and then the TV went blank. "Ash, please be okay!" she pleaded, nearly in tears.

At Prof. Oak's Lab, Ash's Pokemon were gathered around the TV he brought outside. They all stared, frantically talking to each other, worried about what happened to their trainer.

"Woah, I've never seen an energy explosion from two attacks that huge before!" said Typhlosion.

"Ash and Mewtwo were very close to the blast! I hope they're okay!" said Pidgeot.

"And Pikachu was down there with him, too!" said Torterra.

After a minute of anxious waiting, the battle reappeared on the TV.

* * *

"Is everyone okay?" Gary asked he and the others all got back up.

"We're fine." said Misty. "But what a mess." The stadium had cracks running up its walls, and what little they could see of the battlefield through the smoke, was in pieces! Luckily, nobody in the stands was injured.

"Where are Ash, Pikachu, and Mewtwo?" asked May.

"Look, the dust cloud is settling. Can anyone see anything?" said Dawn.

The battlefield was finally coming back into view as the smoke cleared and the dust settled. Ash and Cynthia were lying on what was left of the ground. But Mewtwo and Garchomp were nowhere to be seen. Cynthia managed to get back up and brush the dust off her clothes. Ash, on the other hand, was lying on the ground unconscious. Pikachu was fine since Ash had shielded him from the blast. Now, Pikachu was shaking his friend, trying desperately to wake him up.

The stadium was completely silent. Everyone watching was very worried about what had happened to Ash, most of the worry was being felt by his girlfriend in the stands, and his mom and Pokemon watching back in Pallet Town. Eventually, Ash began to stir and opened his eyes. He slowly got back on his feet and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ash, are you alright? You don't look injured, but you were unconscious." said Pikachu.

"I'm fine Pikachu. You probably didn't see it, but I used my Aura to create a shield to protect both of us from the flying debris. But the barrage was so intense, I ended up using more of my Aura than I expected in order to protect us, and I passed out from Aura Shock." **(Aura Shock: When someone uses up too much of their Aura or uses it too fast. It can result in a weakening your body and stamina, knock you out, or even possibly kill you.)**

"Anyway, you're looking fine, Pikachu." Ash continued. But he then looked out at the battlefield. "But...where's Mewtwo? Don't tell me he's..." Ash surveyed the ruined battlefield. Most of the ground was fractured, and the main area of the field where the Pokemon battled, was just a heap of concrete and rubble. And since Mewtwo and Garchomp were nowhere else in sight, that meant that they were...buried alive under the rubble!

Ash used his Aura to scan under the rubble, and he came across the Aura signatures belonging to Mewtwo and Garchomp, and they were alive! Ash could still sense a little bit of energy coming from their bodies. Then, the heap of debris began to move and shift, and a three-fingered hand appeared up out of the heap.

A pair of wings/claws appeared as Garchomp managed to pull its head out first. Mewtwo also managed to pull out his head out and push his body up on his hands and knees as the rubble fell off of his back.

Ash stared at Mewtwo, his body was covered with bruises from the flying debris, burns from the intense energy blast, and he also had a deep gash running across his head above his left eye. Blood ran down the left side of his face, forcing him to keep his left eye closed to prevent the blood from seeping into his eyelid. Nearly every cell in Mewtwo's body was crying out in pain. Garchomp was also badly burned and bruised, and had a bloody gash on its right leg.

Both Pokemon had emerged from the rubble and were desperately trying to get back up again. The stadium was still very quiet. Nobody spoke due to the shock of seeing two powerful attacks, the aftermath of the explosion, the destruction, and the pain the Pokemon must've been feeling at that moment. Ash was speechless, too. He had never seen a Pokemon actually bleed before.

Back on their feet, both Pokemon were shaking from their weakness. Even though they were still ready to continue, Ash and Cynthia spoke no orders for their Pokemon to attack. In their minds, they were contemplating whether or not to continue the battle. Of course Ash wanted to triumph, he was on the verge of becoming a Pokemon Master, after all. But he also knew that a trainer has to know when to quit, when to draw the line, when to say enough is enough, has to know when his Pokemon's had enough and is too weak to continue battling, or is outmatched. No battle was worth losing one of his Pokemon...one of his friends.

But before Ash or Cynthia could say anything, Garchomp's knees buckled and it collapsed back down to the ground. The referee walked over and looked at the unconscious crumpled form of the Dragon Pokemon, and his voice broke the deadly silence that hung over the stadium.

"Garchomp is unable to battle! Mewtwo wins! And the victor of this battle is Ash Ketchum!"

For a moment, nobody said anything...and then, it came. The stadium went from deadly silent to super-loud! The entire stadium erupted with cheers and screams, even the fans who had been cheering for Cynthia to win gave Ash a standing ovation, since they had to admire his battling prowess!

And it wasn't just in the stadium, people watching on TV all over the world in all the regions were cheering at that moment. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh; for quite possibly the first time in history, all the people of the world were united as one. And with one voice, they were all cheering and congratulating HIM - Ash Ketchum: The World's Greatest Pokemon Master!

"It's all over, folks! Ash Ketchum has done what some would call impossible! Winning all the Pokemon Leagues and beating every member of the Elite Four, he is now a Pokemon Master!" the announcer screamed.

Ash just stood there amidst the cheers, not knowing what to do. His dream that had been 15 years in the making, had finally come true! He didn't know how he should be feeling, happy, relieved, maybe a little disappointed that his journey is over? But the confused look on his face suddenly changed and his reaction told it all.

"YYYYEEESSS!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Pikachu jumped into his arms, celebrating with his trainer and friend. "We did it, Pikachu! After all this time, all our hard work and battles, I'm finally The World's Greatest Pokemon Master!" He then looked out at Mewtwo who was staring over his shoulder back at Ash with his one good eye. For the first time in his life, Mewtwo was smiling a real, genuine smile at Ash. Mewtwo simply said, "Well done." And Ash nodded in reply.

Mewtwo then used Recover to stop the bleeding from the gash on his head, and the Recover also made it easier for him to stand and move around. But it was just a temporary fix. He knew he'd still have to go to the Pokemon Center for proper treatment.

Ash looked up into the stands and as he looked at all the screaming people, he looked for his friends but all he saw were six empty seats. Brock, Gary, Tracey, Misty, May, and Dawn weren't there. He didn't have to worry for long as he heard a familiar voice cry out his name from behind him.

He turned around to see his friends, who had all come down from their seats and onto the battlefield. They ran towards him, with his girlfriend running ahead of them all, and her Piplup running beside her. Pikachu leapt out of Ash's arms onto the ground as Piplup reached Pikachu and the both of them celebrated.

Dawn jumped at Ash, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him warmly. As she jumped at him, Ash grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around as they both laughed happily. Ash put her back on her feet as the rest of his friends caught up to her and the six of them all surrounded him in a giant group hug.

After a minute, they let him go as they saw Cynthia return Garchomp and walk over to Ash. "Congratulations, Ash." she said. "My Garchomp had never lost a battle, but you defeated it when it mattered the most. Though I'm a little disappointed that I lost, I'm glad that I was able to witness firsthand, the crowning of a new Pokemon Master, the highest rank a trainer can achieve, so that means you officially outrank me, Ash." She held out her hand and Ash shook it. "And I'm proud to call you 'Master Ash Ketchum.'" she finished.

"Thank you, Cynthia. It was a pleasure to battle with a true champion such as yourself." he replied. He thought about that last line she had used, 'Master Ash Ketchum'. He liked it. It was his proper and formal title that everyone would now address him by. It reminded him of just how far he had come in his life and what it symbolized. The crowd cheered for Cynthia one last time as she walked off the battlefield.

Ash and the others then noticed that Mewtwo was gone, he had teleported away. But then he reappeared back on the battlefield with all of Ash's Pokemon! "I went back to Pallet Town while you were talking." he said. "All of your Pokemon deserve to be here to share your moment of triumph! It wasn't just I who fought for you."

"We all played a part in helping you get to where you are right now." said Glalie.

"And we're all very honored and proud to have you as our master, trainer, and friend." said Kingler

Tears of joy flowed down Ash's face as he saw all his Pokemon friends standing in front of him. He had been a little disappointed that morning when he thought most of his Pokemon would be back home watching. Now, there was no need to worry. His Pokemon ran to him and surrounded him as the crowd screamed once more and Ash let out his other four Pokemon who were in their Pokeballs, and the gang was reunited.

As Ash was enjoying seeing his Pokemon together again, some of the stadium's grounds keepers were setting up a platform/stage on the field. Ash walked up onto the stage as his Pokemon and friends stood there watching him proudly. The head of the Pokemon League, Mr. Goodshow, came out to present Ash with his official certificate that read:

_Certificate of Pokemon Mastery_

_This certificate is presented to Ash Ketchum_

_To certify that he has successfully competed with and won against each member of the Elite Four in the regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh; as well as triumphing in each region's Pokemon League Tournament. And thus, he has gained the rank and title of 'Pokemon Master.'_

_And as such, he shall be known forevermore as the most powerful Pokemon Trainer on the planet._

Underneath this message, it was signed by Mr. Goodshow and dated on this day.

He then presented Ash with a plaque that had a gold pokeball symbol on it, surrounded by small golden symbols of a flame, a water droplet, a leaf, all the symbols of the 17 different types of Pokemon, as well as his name and an inscription at the bottom.

And lastly, an official gold badge in a small protective case. It was designed specifically for Ash. The badge was a pokeball with an 'M' in the middle, which stood for 'Master', and it had lightning bolts coming out in all directions. That part was designed to represent Pikachu, Ash's first Pokemon. Ash would carry that badge with him always so if anybody had any doubt about who he was, he could show them his badge as proof and they'd know.

The crowd cheered loudly once more as Ash accepted these awards and then walked up to the microphone to address the people watching in the crowds and on TV, for the first time as their Pokemon Master. The crowd cheered for nearly five straight minutes before Ash finally started speaking.

**Author's Note: So Ash has won and is now a Pokemon Master, and the mystery of his girlfriend has been solved! Thank you to the FOUR PEOPLE who actually cared enough to vote on my poll!**

**The ceremony and celebrations continue next time in Pokemon: The Final Victory!**


	12. All is Said and Done, Almost

**Author's Note: Phew, almost done with this story! One more chapter planned after this one.**

Ash stood in front of the microphone with his friends and Pokemon in front of him, and the crowds in the stands around him. He then began his victory speech.

"Ever since I was just a kid, I knew that this is what I wanted to be some day: A Pokemon Master. It was my lifelong dream that kept me going throughout all my years of travel, through my wins...and losses. I wanted to be the best, the very best, like noone ever was. But I knew that to be the best trainer on earth, I would have to catch a wide variety of Pokemon. Some were easy and wanted to join me, others I had to battle in order to catch them. To prove my strength, I had to capture them, it was my real test to see if I was powerful enough, and to train them was my cause, since I knew they would have to grow stronger with me as I taught them to understand the power that's inside of them.

"But I wasn't alone throughout my journeys, I met many friends to travel with. No matter where I went as I traveled across the lands searching far and wide for new Pokemon, I had someone there to talk to and support me. I even supported THEM as they followed their own dreams!

"I couldn't have made it to where I am now without the help of a lot of people that I want to thank right now.

"I want to thank my mom, Delia for all her support and love and understanding since I first left Pallet Town all those years ago.

"Gary Oak, my lifelong rival. I know we didn't always see eye to eye and were often on the opposite sides of certain issues, but we eventually patched things up and became friends.

"Misty, my first friend I ever met when I began traveling. We didn't always get along, either.

"Brock, the first gym leader I ever defeated. He's traveled with me longer than any of my other friends.

"Tracey Sketchit, who traveled with me through the Orange Islands. He provided me with a lot if insight.

"May, and her brother Max who's watching back in Petalburg City. She was the first Pokemon Coordinator I ever traveled with. And she and her brother were probably the closest thing to a sister and brother I ever had.

"And Dawn, my girlfriend. We always trained together, growing stronger from one another and when we battled together as one in a tag battle, nobody could beat us! Probably the best years of my journey were spent traveling with her in Sinnoh and she's supported me more than probably any of my other friends. I love you."

The crowd let out an "aww" when they heard this and Dawn smiled at her boyfriend. "I love you too, Ash." she whispered as Ash continued his acceptance speech.

"Along with these people, I also have my entire Pokemon team to thank. I couldn't have been a Pokemon Master without my Pokemon's help.

"First, I want to thank three of my Pokemon who aren't here with me now, Butterfree, Aipom, and Lapras. Butterfree, wherever you are right now, thank you for your help. You weren't on the team for long, but you were the first Pokemon I ever had to say goodbye to. And since you were the first Pokemon I ever caught - back when you were a Caterpie - it makes me miss you right now even more.

"Aipom, you were a playful Pokemon and kind of a prankster, but you had the skills to fight hard. When you decided that contests were your true calling, I wanted you to be happy and I traded you away to Dawn. It was good to know that you were still with our group. Later, you evolved into Ambipom and later still, you decided to leave contests behind and be a Pokemon ping pong player. You exemplified just how skilled and talented you are at nearly everything you do. Battles, contests, you could do it all! I miss you Ambipom, and I'm sure Dawn does, too.

"And Lapras, I took you in when you were separated from your family. You helped me get from island to island when I traveled the Orange Islands and I won my first Orange Island badge with your help. Wherever you are, I hope you're happy and I wish you were here." The crowd cheered for his absent Pokemon. And they cheered again for each of his remaining Pokemon one at a time, as he began to call them out and thank them, and memories of his Pokemon friends came to his mind.

"As for the rest of my Pokemon, I owe thanks to:

"Pidgeot, my first flying Pokemon. When I caught you, you were still a Pidgeotto. When I left for the Orange Islands, I had to leave you in the forest but I promised I would come back for you some day, and I did. I'm sorry it took so long, but I never back out of my promises.

"Venusaur, my first Grass Pokemon. I caught you as a Bulbasaur, and you always had guts and strength despite your small size, but when you evolved you had the size to back it up. You always kept a clear mind and a determined spirit.

"Charizard, one of my all-time best and strongest Pokemon. We got along well when you were a Charmander. But when you evolved, our relationship was...strained. But we eventually became friends again and continued to grow stronger together. After 15 years, you're still big enough and strong enough to carry me on your back. It seems that as I grew older and taller, so did you.

"Blastoise, you were once a member of the Squirtle Squad. But once you all evolved, you came back to me with a lot more strength and I'm forever grateful to you for winning so many battles.

"Kingler, you won me my very first battle in my first ever Pokemon League match when you were still a Krabby. Not to mention it was also the first battle of your life. It was then that I knew great this were going to happen whenever you battled and I was right!

"Primeape, you weren't on my team for very long, in fact you only battled once before you left. But I was happy when you came back because you were and still are the only Fighting Pokemon I ever had. And your power and speed won many battles for us.

"Muk, you're gooey and heavy, but you're still a great Pokemon. A lot of my opponents misjudged you and didn't see you battling power. But you proved you're not a Pokemon to take lightly!

"Tauros, I caught you by accident in the Safari Zone, but I came to see that it was a blessing in disguise. Your raw physical power helped me out of many jams and in many battles.

"Snorlax, you usually sleep a lot but when you're awake and battling, you prove that size matters!

"Heracross, the first Pokemon I caught in Johto. You were tough for a Bug Pokemon and were capable of winning even at a type disadvantage!

"Meganium, you had spunk and determination, even when you were still just a Chikorita and that was what kept you going throughout the battles we've fought. You're also one of the friendliest Pokemon I ever owned.

"Typhlosion, when I caught you as a Cyndaquil, you weren't the strongest Fire Pokemon on the block. But together, we learned how to unleash your inner flame and burn with might!

"Feraligatr, once a happy little Totodile. Once you evolved, you became a much more calm, collected and tougher fighter. And your water attacks never cease to amaze me with their style and power!

"Noctowl, you were smaller than the average Noctowl, but your rare feather pattern was what inspired me to capture you. You soon proved to be just as strong as any Noctowl despite your size. And your ability to see invisible Ghost Pokemon was your biggest asset.

"Donphan, you were the first Pokemon I ever owned that hatched from an egg. You were hatched as a Phanphy and became my first Ground Type Pokemon. And your armor-like skin and powerful Rollout attack helped steamroll many opponents.

"Swellow, you were once a greedy Taillow, but are now the fastest of all my Flying Pokemon. I have yet to meet a Flying Pokemon that can keep up with you and your speed!

"Sceptile, the quickest of my Grass Pokemon and you proved it once again, today in my battle with Cynthia. Out of the three starters in Hoenn, you were the one I wanted the most so I was really happy when I had my chance to catch you as a Treecko. My most special memory was when you evolved into Grovyle to save me from an angry Loudred.

"Crawdaunt, you were a stubborn Corphish when we first met. You just didn't want to be caught, no matter how many times we tried to get you! You were one of my hardest catches, but when I did catch you, you proved that you were one tough Pokemon and your toughness was well used in battle.

"Torkoal, you were never the strongest or fastest Pokemon on my team, but you had rock-hard defense, a kind heart, and an unquenchable fiery spirit!

"Glalie, formerly a Snorunt, my first Ice Pokemon since Lapras. Your cold courage and chilling attacks could freeze any opponent in their tracks!

"Staraptor, my first Sinnoh Pokemon, caught as a Starly. You have the most attack power out of all my Flying Pokemon, and you know how to put it to good use in battle! I remember when you first evolved into Staravia to save a group of flying Pokemon from Team Rocket, and when you evolved into Staraptor to win me a Pokeringer Tournament! You always knew right when your power was needed most, and how to get the job done!

"Torterra, you were a very quick and noble Turtwig when I first caught you. When you evolved, we had a problem on how to deal with your decreased speed, but we soon found out a way to use your more powerful attacks to your advantage to compensate for your lost momentum. Combine that with your sturdy defense, and you're like a walking tank!

"Infernape, you weren't like all the other Pokemon I had captured. When I first met you as a Chimchar, you were already owned by another trainer and then he let you go 'cause he thought you were weak. But I could see your true power hiding deep inside and over time, you became an unstoppable force!

"Floatzel, even though you're my Pokemon, I didn't catch you originally. It was Dawn's amazing battling skills that won you over when you were a Buizel. Right from the start, I saw that you had a lot of power but I guess contests just weren't your thing, and Dawn traded you to me for Aipom. We hit it off right from there, and never looked back!

"Gliscor, when you were a Gligar, you were clumsy and afraid and couldn't fight to save your life! But that was just one more challenge for me to face and overcome. I was determined to make you into a battler if it took me the rest of my journey, because I don't quit on my friends. Once you evolved into Gliscor, you gained new power and confidence and won your first ever battle in my Canalave City gym battle! You were one tough cookie to train, but it was all worth it in the end!

"Garchomp, I have many funny memories of you when you started out as a Gible. You always used to bite on my head, and your Draco Meteor always kept failing and hitting Piplup. But once you learned how to use it right, you proved to be a little dragon with a lot of power! And that power only grew more once you evolved.

"Mewtwo, the legendary Psychic Pokemon. I was very surprised when I met you again, and even more surprised when you asked to be one of my Pokemon. I didn't think any of the more powerful Legendaries could trust a human that much! Your power has yet to be matched, since you've never lost a fight and proved your strength today to help me win. After all this time together, I'm still not sure how powerful you truly are and what limits you have!"

Ash paused to take a breath as he looked down at his friends and Pokemon. He had thanked all his friends and his entire Pokemon team...except one.

"And last but definently not least, I want to give a thank you to Pikachu. Well, what can I say about you that I haven't already said? You were my first Pokemon, my first friend, it was all because of you that we got to where we are right now. We weren't the best of friends at first, but when we got attacked by those Spearows, you risked your life to save mine. And that's when we both realized that we could always trust in each other, and that was the start of our lifelong friendship! You've battled for me more than any other Pokemon, you get along well with all the others, your electricity can defeat nearly anything, and what else can I say but...you're the best Pokemon friend I've ever had! Thanks, buddy."

Hearing this, Pikachu ran up on the stage and leapt up to Ash, taking his usual place on Ash's shoulder. The crowd applauded this Pokemon - Trainer moment as Ash reached over and rubbed Pikachu's head.

Ash was nearly through with his speech. He looked up at all the people and said, "And lastly, I want to thank all of you, my fans who have cheered me on through the years. It feels good to know that there are thousands of people who like what I do and enjoy watching me do it. I hope you had fun watching me fight today and I hope to see you in the future for my next battle, whenever that may be. Thank you."

The crowd cheered one last time for their Pokemon Master as he walked off the stage and off the battlefield with his friends and Pokemon, with Pikachu on his shoulder, and his awards in his hands.

* * *

Several days after his battle, Ash was walking down the path towards Pallet Town. He had spent the last few days discussing and settling some matters with the Pokemon League Council, as well as attending press conferences since EVERYONE wanted to interview him! His friends and Pokemon had all gone back to Pallet Town ahead of him the day after his victory. He knew they needed some time to prepare for a big welcome home party. He still hadn't seen Prof. Oak or his mom yet, so he was excited for the celebration Pallet Town was having today.

As Pallet Town appeared in the distance, he noticed something on the side of the road that wasn't there the last time he came home. It was a sign, a big road sign that read, "Welcome to Pallet Town, Home of Ash Ketchum."

As Ash reached the door to Prof. Oak's Lab, he could hear chatting coming from the backyard. As he walked through the lab and out the back door to the field, he was greeted by a large crowd, and loud cheers. All of Pallet Town was there to welcome him home, along with others from all over Kanto who had made the journey to meet him. It was the largest crowd ever in the history of Pallet Town!

And what a day it was! There were games, booths, a great buffet for everyone, Ash signed some autographs and put on a show for everyone, showing his battling techniques and his Pokemon's attacks. And at night, there were fireworks! A band from Goldenrod City even wrote a song in his honor and performed it for everyone! The lyrics were based on some of the words he spoke for his speech. **(A/N: Can you guess which song it is?)**

Ash spent a lot of his time that day with his girlfriend by his side. May couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she had nobody. "Don't worry, you still have Drew!" Gary joked at May. "NO WAY!" she screamed. "Drew is just a greasy player. I'd want a man with some brains to back up his good looks!"

As the party began to slow down and people left to go home, Ash slipped away for a minute. Pikachu was talking to the other Pokemon and didn't notice Ash leaving, but Dawn saw him go and followed him. Ash walked through a path in the forest, but he stopped when Dawn called out his name.

"Where are you going, Ash?" Dawn asked.

"Would you like to come with me and see? It's a place only I know about." he replied.

So the two of them walked on until they came to a clearing by the lake near Pallet Town. When Dawn asked what was so special about it, Ash explained that when he was still a kid, he always used to come there when he was angry or sad or worried. He also told her that it was this lake that he jumped into on the first day of his journey to avoid the Spearows. Misty then caught him and pulled him to shore. Dawn could see that this place held some memories for Ash and she could also see why he would come here to think or be alone. It was very private, quiet, and add that to the reflection of the moon and stars in the sky, and she saw that this place had a very relaxing atmosphere.

"You're the only other person besides me who's been here before, Dawn. What do you think?" Ash asked his girlfriend.

"It's very quiet and relaxing here." she answered. "But you say you come here when you're sad or worried, is something wrong that I should know about?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Dawn." Ash replied. "But I have been doing some thinking."

"About what?"

"About you. I have something I want to ask you, Dawn." He looked right at her face and began to speak, albeit sort of nervously.

"Dawn as you know, I wasn't really the sharpest tool in the shed when I first met you. I was what you and some of my other friends would call 'dense,' to the point where it nearly drove you crazy."

Dawn laughed and said, "Yes, I remember that."

"Therefore," Ash continued "when we met, my first impression of you was that you were just an ordinary girl with a dream to become a Top Coordinator, who decided to travel with me as I fought my gym battles. But over time, we became very close friends, closer than any of the other girls I had traveled with. But it wasn't until a couple of years after I left Sinnoh that I realized just how much you meant to me, and I began to miss you.

"I went back to Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn and battled in their Pokemon Leagues once more. But I felt lonely without you, and it was strange because May and Misty had never made me feel like that.

"I came back to Sinnoh for a rematch in the Sinnoh League later, and I made sure you came with me, it felt great to travel with you again. Somewhere during those travels, I finally realized what it was that I felt about you that was so special: I loved you."

Ash didn't realize it at that moment and wouldn't know it until much later, but he had lost all nervousness and was no longer thinking with his head. Instead, he was speaking from his heart!

"You won the Sinnoh Grand Festival the same year I won the Pokemon League Tournament. I'll never forget the day I told you I loved you when we got back to Twinleaf Town, and we began dating. Your journey to become a Top Coordinator was over, but you came with me, promising to help me fulfill my dream, too. When we weren't dating, you were usually helping me train, it felt great having you around all the time.

"You always comforted me when I lost and told me there was no need to worry! I loved your kind heart, strong emotions, and you always knew how to cheer me up, and that's what I love the most about you: your cheerful personality!"

Tears flowed down Dawn's face. Never before had Ash complimented her this much at once, and she felt so happy. But not as happy as she would feel in a minute, as Ash continued talking to her.

"It was one of the happiest moments of my life when I first told you I loved you, and I was even happier when I became a Pokemon Master with you there to watch and congratulate me. I love you more than anything in the world, and you're the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with. And everything we've faced together over the years has led up to this point right now, and it all hinges on this one question I have to ask."

Ash knelt down on the ground in front of Dawn, reached into his pocket, and took out a small velvet case. He opened it, revealing a ring with the most beautiful diamond Dawn had ever seen. Her face lit up as Ash looked into her sapphire eyes and asked the question she had been waiting for him to say since the day they fell in love.

"Dawn Berlitz, will you marry me?"

**Author's Note: OH NO! Ash proposed to Dawn! What will she say?**

**Be sure to answer the question I asked earlier in the chapter!**

**Answer in a review or PM, and then stay tuned for the final chapter of Pokemon: The Final Victory!**


	13. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Hey Vegeta, how many hits does my story now have?**

**Vegeta: "Over 9000!"**

**LOL I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! But I thank you all for reading. So here it is, the big finale you've all been waiting for! What will be the answer to Ash's proposal? And what does the future hold for Ash and his friends?**

Ash knelt down on the ground in front of Dawn, reached into his pocket, and took out a small velvet case. He opened it, revealing a ring with the most beautiful diamond Dawn had ever seen. Her face lit up as Ash looked into her sapphire eyes and asked the question she had been waiting for him to say since the day they fell in love.

"Dawn Berlitz, will you marry me?"

Dawn almost couldn't believe her eyes and ears. For an instant, she didn't know what to do or what to say. Her boyfriend Ash Ketchum, the World's Greatest Pokemon Master had just proposed to her. She had been waiting for a long time for him to ask that, and now that it was here, she couldn't reply to his question. She had imagined this moment in her mind over and over, always knowing what she would say, so why couldn't she say it? She never dreamt about all the pressure she would be feeling. Ash could see her look of indecision and a worried look appeared on his face.

"_Why can't I answer him? It was easy enough when I dreamt about it._"Dawn thought to herself. But she calmed herself down and thought, "_Calm down, Dawn. Calm down. There's no need to worry. Sometimes my head doesn't know what to say, but it's a good thing my heart does._"

Dawn knew what her answer was. She looked down at the young man she loved and said, "Yes. Yes Ash, I will!"

Ash let out a happy sigh of relief and took the ring from the case, slid it onto Dawn's left-hand ring finger, and stood back up on his feet. Ash and Dawn embraced each other lovingly as their lips met and they kissed passionately. After a minute, their lips parted and they stared at each other with big smiles on their faces. Dawn leaned her head against Ash's chest as they remained in each others arms.

They didn't know what to say at that moment. There were no words that could describe the joy they felt in their hearts. All they could say were these simple words.

"I love you Ash. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Dawn. More than anything else."

After a few minutes, Ash suggested they go back before people start wondering where they'd gone. So the newly engaged couple walked back hand in hand, and told everyone the good news. A few months later, they were married in front of all their friends and family.

For their honeymoon, Ash took Dawn on a trip around Kanto, showing her many of the things he had seen on his earlier journeys and sharing many stories of his early travels. Finally, they ended up in Vermillion City, and went on a cruise for several days. The ship ended up back in Sinnoh and they spent some time with Johanna before going back home to Pallet Town.

* * *

_**12 Years Later...**_

The six friends (Ash and Dawn, Gary and May, Tracey and Misty) were now three married couples and they all lived next door to each other in Pallet Town on the same street. Prof. Oak had died a few years earlier, now Gary was the new Pokemon Professor at the lab, and Tracey was his assistant. Misty had left the gym in Cerulean City and with Ash's help, she had found a new gym leader to take her place.

Ash was now 37, Dawn was 35, and they had three children.

Adam, who was ten years old. He had his father's determined spirit. He looked like the spitting image of Ash, same zigzag birthmarks under his eyes, same dark eyes as his father, except his black hair was shorter and not as spiked. He wanted to be a Pokemon Master someday, like his dad.

Amber, who was also ten and Adam's twin sister. She had long blue hair, the same shade of blue hair that her mother and grandmother had before her, no birthmarks, her mother's facial features, and her father's eyes. She was aiming to be a Top Coordinator just like her mom and grandma before her.

And Daniel, who was six years old. He had short blue hair that wasn't spiked at all. He had his mother's blue eyes and no birthmarks. He also wanted to be a Pokemon Master someday, when he was old enough.

Gary was now 37 and married to May, who was 36, and they had two children.

Tyler, who was ten years old. He had short, soft dark brown hair, and was built like his father. He had a bit of his father's cocky attitude, but not an excessive amount. He wanted to be a Pokemon Researcher like his father and great-grandfather had been. But first, he wanted to go on a Pokemon journey and enter the Pokemon League like his dad had done.

And Julie, Tyler's twin sister. She had the same shade of brown hair that her mom had. But instead of wearing it on the sides, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She had her father's eyes and her mother's appetite, and wanted to be a Top Coordinator like her mom.

And Tracey was married to Misty and they were now both 38, and had two children.

Mark, who was ten years old. He had short red hair but it was a darker shade of red than his mom's. He had his mother's temper and his father's facial features. He wanted to someday become the gym leader in Cerulean City just like his mom used to be.

And Sarah, who was seven years old. She had black hair that went down to her shoulders, her mother's eyes, and her father's curiosity and passion for drawing. She wanted to be a Pokemon Researcher like him someday.

* * *

It was on this particular day in Pallet Town that the Ketchum, Oak, and Sketchit families were saying their goodbyes to their children as they were going to begin their Pokemon journeys. Adam, Amber, Tyler, Julie, and Mark had all recently turned ten years old and were ready to go out into the world of Pokemon.

For their starter Pokemon, Julie had picked Bulbasaur, Adam and Tyler had each picked Charmander, and Amber and Mark had each picked Squirtle. After Gary and Tracey had given the five kids their Pokemon, pokeballs, and pokedexes, they stood outside the gates of the lab with their parents, sharing some final words and farewells.

"Here, Adam. I have something I want to give you." Ash said to his son. He handed him a red and white hat with an "L" symbol on it.

"Wow, it's the hat you wore when you started your journey!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, this is a new hat of the same design that mine was." his father replied.

"But you won yours in a contest. I thought they were in limited quantities."

"I talked with the Pokemon Council. There's going to be another contest in a month's time. But I was able to see them first and reserved a hat for you and one for your brother when he's old enough to start his journey."

Adam put the hat on his head, smiling with a sense of pride, and hugged his dad. "Thanks, dad. This hat is going to remind me of you and all that you experienced on your journey." He looked down at his little brother Daniel.

"Brother, someday we'll have a battle, right?" asked Daniel

"Yep, as soon as you're old enough!" Adam replied.

"You look so much like me when I started my journey." said Ash. "All that's missing is for you to have a Pikachu on your shoulder!"

"I'll catch one, dad. I want one just like yours." Adam reached up towards his dad's shoulder and rubbed Pikachu's head.

"My pokedex has information on where certain Pokemon are located in the wild." said Ash, looking up where Pikachus lived in Kanto. It was a special feature only his pokedex had. Being a Pokemon Master has its perks! "There seem to be Pikachus living in the Viridian Forest. Maybe you can catch one there." Adam's face lit up, hearing that there were Pikachus not too far away.

Over with Dawn, she hugged her daughter Amber and handed her a present. "A ribbon?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, it belonged to your grandma. She gave it to me when I started my Pokemon journey and now, I'd like to give it to you. It brought me good luck and I hope it will do the same for you, Amber." Dawn said.

"Thank you, mom. I'll keep it safe. I wish grandma was here to see me off. I miss her." Amber had a very deep bond with Johanna.

"Yeah, she couldn't make the trip from Sinnoh. But I know she's proud of you." Dawn replied.

Adam and Amber then turned over towards their other grandma, Delia, who was now in her sixties. "It's like saying goodbye to Ash all over again. I'll miss having you two around, but I know this is what you really want. Be careful, train hard and make sure to change-"

"WE KNOW, GRANDMA!" they interrupted.

Over by Gary and May, they were saying their goodbyes to their kids, Tyler and Julie.

"Just you wait and see, dad! I'll be a Pokemon Professor someday just like you are, and like great-grandpa Sam was. But first, I'm going to travel the regions and compete in the Pokemon League just like you did. But unlike you, I'm going to compete in all four regions' leagues, not just Kanto and Johto like you did." Tyler said to his father.

"Hopefully you succeed where I failed in the Pokemon League." Gary joked at his son. "I'm looking forward to you helping me and Tracey out in the lab someday, too. You'll be the third generation of Oak Pokemon Professors. If only my grandpa could see you now." The old Prof. Oak had died shortly before Tyler was born. Tyler hugged his dad as May was doing the same to his sister, Julie.

And Tracey and Misty were saying goodbye to their son, Mark.

"Mom, you were the gym leader in Cerulean City for a long time. Now, it's my turn. I'm going to win the Pokemon League and become the new gym leader!" Mark said to his mom.

"I guess that's why you chose Squirtle as your starting Pokemon, huh?" Misty replied. He nodded and hugged his parents. "I'm looking forward to seeing a member of our family as gym leader again. But if you're going to battle in the Pokemon League and win badges, you're going to need more than just Water Pokemon." she told him.

"I know, mom. I'll catch different kinds of Pokemon but I'll try to catch as many Water Pokemon as I can, too." Mark answered.

And so, with all the goodbyes said and everyone having their bags packed and their Pokemon in their pokeballs, the five friends walked together down the road out of Pallet Town, ready to begin their Pokemon adventures. The three boys hoped to enter the Pokemon League this year, while the two girls hoped to enter the Grand Festival.

"I'm looking forward to seeing them in the League Tournament this year." Ash said as they left. He was invited every year to the Pokemon League as a special guest. It was good for him to see which trainers would be next generation Pokemon Masters and their first step would be winning the Pokemon League.

"And me and May are going to see them at the Grand Festival, too." Dawn said to her husband.

"The torch has been passed to a new generation." said Gary.

"And two more still on the way." Misty said as she looked at her little daughter Sarah, and Ash and Dawn's little son, Daniel.

"And someday, they'll all win their final victories!" Ash said.

**The End**

**Pokemon: The Final Victory**

**Author's Note: And there you have it, my first story on Fanfiction is completed! I decided to finish it with a "happily ever after" kind of ending, with the six main characters all married and having families, and living together in Pallet Town.**

**Thank you for reading Pokemon: The Final Victory. You guys are the real victors, you win at reading just for reading this story so you're all winners in my eyes! So overall, how was my story? Good? Bad? Anything I should change or keep in mind for my next story? Leave a review with your thoughts.**

**Be sure to read the Special Thanks chapter, where I'll thank all the people who reviewed and helped me in writing this story!**

**It will be posted tomorrow, so if you have anything left to say about the story, do it now!**


	14. Special Thanks

Well, six months ago when I first started this story, I had no idea so many people would read it and like it. It's received OVER 9000 HITS! Not bad for a first time writer. I don't know if all my stories will have a special thanks chapter at the end but since this is my first story ever, I feel it's necessary to give thanks to the people who kept me motivated. First story's always the hardest to do.

Thank you to:

Johan07: Thanks for being my first reviewer ever! It felt great to know that my story had been liked by at least one person.

Gerbilftw: Thanks for your suggestions for me on how to be a better writer.

Rocketlord6485: Thanks for your words of encouragement. (If you haven't read his story "The Lost Chronicles of Giovanni", do it NOW! One of the best Pokemon stories I've ever read.)

ultimateCCC: Thanks for all your constant reviews and praise for my story.

Obliterator1519: Thanks for all your reviews.

PhantoMNiGHT321: Thanks for your two reviews.

Darkened Fire Dragon: You've reviewed my story more than anyone else and I thank you for your encouragement. And a BIG thank you for providing me with the idea for the ending to the story!

knightwolf20x: Thanks for your reviews.

awesomeness-rocks: Your chapter 9 review is the best review I've gotten for my story! Thank you so much! And no, I won't be making a sequel about their kids because if I did, I would have to add a lot of OCs and people don't tend to read fanfictions with OCs. And I don't have the time or imagination to think up backstories and info for a dozen original characters, anyway. Sorry, but no sequel.

severus6 and bunnyboo1612: Thanks for reviewing and correctly guessing the song reference in chapter 12!

Cacooks7: Woah, longest review I've gotten. A big thank you to all the good things you said about me and my story!

mr mark gibbs 1989: Thanks, but wedding scenes just aren't my strong point. If you want to read a good Pearlshipping wedding story, read "Their Wedding" by an author named hollista. If you can't find it, I'll send you a link.

Sonicballzx: Thank you for giving me the idea for how I should write chapter 9!

I also thank ToucanMan, nik2012, Lighting-Squall, gabrielsolomon, and Nauran for reviewing as well!

Thank you also to ALL the people who read and/or added this story to their favorites and story alerts!

And lastly, I want to give a VERY big thank you to Vala46225. If it wasn't for you, your motivation, and your encouragement, I probably would've never considered writing stories in the first place! Without you, there would be no story.

So to all my readers, make sure you send her a quick message thanking her for telling me to start writing.

And that's it. I'm currently open to requests for my next story. What should the plot be about? Should it be another Pearlshipping story or a different shipping altogether? Or should I write about something other than Pokemon?

This is PokemonFreak90 saying goodbye, and thanks for reading!


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